Bloodline
by Andi1978
Summary: AU. What if Owen Lars had refused to take in Luke Skywalker? Yoda's original plan has changed.
1. Chapter 1

Obi-Wan Kenobi nervously waited for the transmission to go through to Tattooine. He hoped against all hopes that Anakin's family would want to take his son in. There was not enough time to come up with another feasible scenario for the boy's future. A squeak alerted him to the fact that he was holding on too tightly to the baby. "I apologize, little one. It seems my nerves have gotten the best of me," he said as he released his anxiety into the Force as much as he could. Luke's little brow unfurrowed and he sighed as he sank into the oblivion of sleep again. Obi-Wan regarded his small burden and was startled when he heard "Lars here, who is this?" emanate from the comm.

"Hello, Mister Lars," Obi-Wan said as respectfully as he could. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I bring sad news about your brother, Anakin Skywalker. It seems that he and his wife have passed away during the recent turmoil and his son, Luke here, is in need of a home. I thought that perhaps you would like the honor of raising him." He held the baby towards the bluish apparition which had immediately scowled upon hearing Anakin's name.

A seemingly interminable silence stretched out - Obi-Wan knew that this was a major request to make of someone on such short notice, but surely they would normally say something at some point? He had a terrible feeling about the entire situation. The farmer squared his jaw and looked at Obi-Wan: "Is the boy anything like his father? Have that...thing...that makes them Jedi?" he asked warily.

"Yes, he is indeed Force sensitive, but without training, it would most likely remain dormant and not be an issue at all," Obi-Wan assuaged the farmer. He didn't know his history, but he had a feeling that the man was more wary on a personal level rather than regarding the Force itself.

"I'm going to have to decline. The farm's not been doing so well, we're having trouble keeping ourselves fed as is, and adding another mouth to feed that can't contribute to the farming yet will only make it worse. Besides, that damn man couldn't even bother to visit his own mother even _once_ while he was off being a big-shot Jedi. One and only time I met him was when she died, and that was enough for me. If the kid's anything like _that_ , then there's no way I'm having that in _my_ house," the farmer said bluntly.

Obi-Wan felt a stab of guilt - the farmer had no idea about the non-attachment policies that would have forbidden Anakin from visiting. He also knew that Anakin had never quite forgiven him for not taking his visions seriously - he had been quite morose for some time after his mother's death. "I must apologize on Anakin's behalf then. You see, the Jedi forbade attachment, so he truly was not allowed to have any contact with his mother. He wanted to see her so often and I had to tell him no each time he asked. Please, don't punish his son for my sins," he practically whispered.

"I'm not punishing anyone, and don't even think about trying to manipulate me," Owen Lars puffed up, affronted. "That man was dangerous - no one should have that kind of power - _no one_."

"Whatever do you mean? What did he do?" Obi-Wan's stomach felt like it was twisting in on itself. He was now thankful that he still hadn't managed to eat anything since Utapau, for after hearing about Anakin's rampage in the desert he felt like everything he had ever eaten would come up at any moment.

There was an awkward silence, and then the farmer spoke again. "You didn't even know about that, did you?" he asked quietly, seemingly ashamed of having kicked a man that was already down. Obi-Wan merely swallowed hard once and shook his head. Owen sighed, "Our lives are dangerous enough as it is - what with Tuskens, the heat, the Hutts. We barely survive as it is - this is no place for a baby. Besides, we don't want any more trouble or any attention coming here. The Republic left us alone, and so will the Empire, most likely. But, if anyone comes sniffing around Anakin's old whereabouts and finds _him_ , what then?" Owen pointed at the baby and then shrugged. "I'm sorry, I wish you luck, but I'm going to have to say no." And with that, the transmission was ended, leaving a devastated Obi-Wan wondering just how everything had gone so _so_ wrong and what he could have done to change things even back then.

Bail Organa had come back to let Obi-Wan know that he had spoken to Padme's family, but had lingered in the background to let him finish his conversation. Bail's heart ached for Obi-Wan and baby Luke as well. Obi-Wan had already lost everything at the hand of the boy he had practically raised, and now came a two-handed punch to the gut. He knew that neither Obi-Wan or Yoda were in any position to raise a child, and he shuddered to think how the poor child would turn out in those circumstances. He had wanted to take in both children, but Master Yoda had been adamant about keeping the twins apart for fear of Palpatine sensing them. He had an idea, suddenly, as horrible as it sounded. He would need to finesse it when they all met again in a few minutes. After all, Luke was as much royalty as his sister, so perhaps the Force was intervening to make sure that their upbringings wouldn't be so disparate.

Bail and Master Yoda sat quietly at the meeting table, Bail respecting Master Yoda's need to process everything that had happened. There had been so much that occurred in such a short amount of time that the poor old man had no time to really take in the enormity of the situation as a whole. He knew that Yoda was old, but he seemed to have aged even further in the last few days and he wondered just how long he would be able to hold on. As if sensing his thoughts, Yoda lifted sad eyes to meet his and gave a weak smile: "Worry for me, you should not, Senator. The Force is my ally, and follow its will I shall. Survive to fulfill the purpose the Force has for me I will."

Obi-Wan entered the room and shook his head once. Master Yoda's ears drooped. "Complicates things, this does. Take the boy I cannot. No place for a baby is Dagobah."

Bail saw his opportunity and waited for just a second so as not to sound too callous or conniving. "I spoke with Senator Amidala's family and alerted them to her death. It seems that her older sister, Sola, was pregnant at the same time and just gave birth to a stillborn child," he said slowly and gently. "I think that we could place Luke with his family and they could raise him as their own. There would be medical records and witnesses to Sola's pregnancy. And even though it's a traumatic time for the Naberries, I can't imagine them not wanting to take in Padme's child," he said very carefully.

"Risky it would be," Yoda said after a moment of internal deliberation. "Naboo, Palpatine's home planet it is."

"Yes, it is," Bail ventured again cautiously. "Could you do what you did with Leia to her brother - block the Force until the necessary time? It's not like you would have been free to train him at leisure anyway…" he trailed off, not wanting to upset the Jedi any further. He also wanted to make sure that the boy would get a say in his future, like Leia, his _daughter_ , would. He didn't like the idea of the children's future being decided beforehand - they were _people_ , not holochess pieces to be used as needed. While he was still on the side of the Jedi, Bail could not help but wonder if their detachment had led them to this place. He hoped that both of Padme's children would be loved and cared for and capable of making their own decisions - not like the broken men before him who knew nothing else but their insular way of life. She would have wanted that for them, he knew that, and he would honor it as best as possible. He knew his little Leia would be loved and want for nothing, and he wanted the same for her brother.

"I suppose it will have to do," a dejected Obi-Wan said finally. "I am in no position to raise a child, nor should anyone want me to, given what has transpired."

"Blame yourself you should not, _Master_ Kenobi," Yoda admonished. "Raise your padawan you did as best you could. His choices - his alone they were. Blame me for Dooku do you, hmm?"

Obi-Wan was taken aback for just a moment and then shook his head, "No Master, but-"

"But _nothing_ ," Yoda said as he tapped his gimer stick on the floor. "Worry about the past we cannot. Change it we cannot. Mistakes we made - learn from them we must. Missed the Sith in our midst did we _all_. Fail the Galaxy did we all. Plenty of blame to share there is. Worry about the present we must now. The future the children are. The Force, guide us it will, as always it has done," he finished emphatically. After a pause, Yoda grunted and heaved himself to the floor. "Check on the children I shall," he said as he hobbled off.

Master Yoda entered the nursery where the newborn twins slept side by side, breathing in sync. He sighed and with an aching heart repeated the process he had already performed on the girl. "Forgive me, I hope that you will. For your own good this is," he said as he raised a gnarled hand and rested it over the baby boy's forehead. The baby twitched a few times and then was still again, his presence in the Force dimming to match that of his sister's. Nondescript, just a small light like so many others already out in the Galaxy. If Palpatine had sensed the twins at any point, the dimming of their lights could have been perceived as their deaths. _Perhaps, for the best this is_ , Yoda thought sadly as he left the nursery and prepared for his long exile.


	2. Chapter 2

Bail Organa left Jobal and Ruwee Naberrie with their daughter's body to mourn in privacy. He had already spoken to Sola and Darred Naberrie, who had been doubly devastated - by the death of their stillborn daughter and Sola's sister. They had had no idea that Padme had been pregnant, although Sola had burst into tears as she said that she had suspected it on a few occasions and had wondered why her own family hadn't been told. The deceased child was still in the room with the grieving parents at the time. They had dressed her up and taken memento mori, which was a custom he had only heard about in passing and found too macabre for his taste. He had excused himself and led the grieving Naberrie parents in to see Padme's body for one last time.

Bail sighed as he accessed the private room that had been procured for them in the hospital to give Obi-Wan hydration and nutrients, as well as to falsify the birth records of both Luke and Leia Skywalker. Bail was having Luke recorded as a live birth for Darred and Sola Naberrie and Leia as an abandoned orphan that he would be adopting in honor of Padme. The only other record needing falsification would be the Naberrie baby girl, who would be passed off as Padme's deceased progeny. This way, they would be buried together and there would be no suspicion on any counts from anyone - especially Palpatine. The Naberrie family had agreed, but had requested a few more moments with their deceased family members before meeting Padme's son. Bail had not told them about Leia - they did not need to know about her in order to keep the twins safe and separate. Master Yoda was still adamant about that.

The current Queen of Naboo had acquiesced to the entire affair and reassured the Naberrie family as well as Obi-Wan that the Naboo did not believe what had been said about the Jedi being traitors and expressed support for their beloved Queen and her son. They would maintain absolute secrecy and help keep Obi-Wan hidden as well, so that he could protect Luke from afar and evade detection should Palpatine show up for any reason. Obi-Wan looked up tiredly from his bed where he was feeding a droopy-eyed Leia her bottle. Bail smiled fondly and looked over to her brother who was being given a diaper change by a nurse. Once she was done, Bail took the baby and brought him over to his sister.

"As much as I hate to do this, it is time for you two to say goodbye to each other," Bail said softly. "Perhaps one day you two shall meet again and be able to enjoy each other's company without the need for secrecy. Please forgive us for doing this to you, but it is being done with nothing but good intentions. May our actions have been the correct ones," he said as he lifted the baby boy away from his now-sleeping sister. Luke squirmed and gave a little grunt and settled down once he was secured in the crook of Bail's arm. Obi-Wan merely ran a forefinger across the baby's forehead and then lifted Leia towards his shoulder to burp her. "I shall go and introduce him to his family now," Bail said as he took the baby with him down the hallway of the private wing of the hospital.

He approached the Naberrie's room and steeled himself. This had turned out to be a much more heart-wrenching situation than he had initially predicted. He only hoped that he had made the correct assessment and that the Naberries wouldn't back out now. He breathed in deeply once and knocked at the door. A red-eyed Jobal Naberrie answered and beckoned him in after putting her hand to her mouth once she eyed the baby boy. Her eyes filled with tears again as she held out her arms for the little bundle and Bail acquiesced, gently sliding the baby to her. Jobal sniffled as she smiled and cooed down at her grandson, who was awake and trying unsuccessfully to focus on her face with his still weak eyes. "Oh, look Ruwee, he has your eyes. Same shape and everything," she said as she choked a little on her words.

Ruwee Naberrie slowly came forward and gazed upon the baby boy. He hesitantly petted the baby's head. "He's a tiny little thing, isn't he?"

"Yes, he was born prematurely," Bail said truthfully. The meddroids had calculated the twins at four weeks prior to full gestation, but that was not abnormal for twins. But, the Naberries did not know about his twin, so he let the partial truth stand - for their safety as much as anything. "Perfectly healthy, but they did advise to be watchful for any respiratory issues, since a large portion of the last month of gestation is devoted to lung-development." Bail noticed that Darred was no longer in the room, and assumed he would either be returning shortly, or had gone home to his daughters.

Jobal gently rocked the baby back and forth and elicited a gummy yawn out of him. She laughed and sniffled at the same time. "Does he have a name?" she asked, clearly entranced.

"Yes, Padme did live long enough to name him Luke," Bail said.

"Bringer of light," Sola said softly from behind her parents. "She and I had always said that if either of us ever had a son, that that was the name we would choose. Whichever of us had a son first would get to claim the name," she said quietly as Ruwee stepped aside to make room for her.

"What have you told the girls?" Jobal asked her daughter after she had carefully and reverently shifted the baby boy to her.

"That they are going to have a baby brother," Sola replied with a faraway voice. "We had decided to not find out the baby's sex beforehand so that it would be a surprise. None of us had any idea that…" she trailed off and swallowed hard, followed by a sniffle. "I'm sorry…"

"It's ok, darling," Jobal patted her daughter's hair with one hand as the other hand found her shoulder. Bail watched three generations of Naberries in each other's arms with a kind of awe. He and Breha had tried so hard for children, but she had miscarried so many times that the doctors had told her that it would put her health in definite danger should she try again. They were finally getting their own daughter, but something about the scene in front of him tugged at his heartstrings. Suddenly, he knew that he had made the right choice. Not only would the child be loved, but he would help heal this poor broken family, much like his sister would be loved and heal he and Breha.

Sola smiled wetly at her nephew. "He looks so very much like Pooja did as a baby, except for that chin dimple," she sighed and closed her eyes before turning them on Bail. "Who was the father, do you know?" she asked rather directly.

Bail cleared his throat and approached them more closely so that he could speak to them more quietly. He knew that the Naboo were willing to help hide Luke, but he couldn't be careful enough regarding the boy's father. "It was Anakin Skywalker," he said very quietly. "Given what has just transpired, this information cannot leave this room - it would be a death sentence for him as well as for you," he intoned very seriously. Much to his surprise, Sola just laughed.

"I knew it. I _knew_ that they were more than just friends," she said as she shook her head and then gave her mother a tired yet mischievous smile. "Told you so."

Jobal sighed and rubbed her daughter's back. "Yes you did. Am I to assume that that is what really happened to Padme? She was part of the purge?" she asked with weary eyes.

"That's the perplexing thing," Bail said honestly. He was still baffled over what had occurred - he just didn't understand it. "The medical staff couldn't explain what was happening - they said that she was _perfectly_ healthy, but it seemed as if she had just lost the will to live," he said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"'Lost the will to live'?" Sola asked sharply, which startled the baby. "I'm so sorry sweetheart, so sorry," she soothed Luke before turning back sharp and angry eyes on Bail. "I've never known her to give up on _anything_. Something doesn't sound right."

"I'm in agreement," Ruwee said as he put his hand on Sola's back. Suddenly Bail found himself staring at a wall of angry Naberries, and he could see just where Padme's righteous anger came from.

"Like I said, I don't understand it - it made no sense to me, or to the Jedi either," he said as he put up his hands in defense. "Obi-Wan theorized that it was due to her having a broken heart over losing everything she had ever worked for -"

"Losing _everything_? What about her baby? She would not have abandoned him. I _refuse_ to believe that," Sola said with a stubborn jut to her chin, which was just _so_ Padme it made Bail's heart ache all over again.

"I don't believe it either - I just know what the medical professionals told me. I am so sorry that this is all I can tell you. I am just glad that you are able and willing to take in her son," he said honestly.

At that, the tension dissipated somewhat in the room. "She always did live too hard, didn't she? Always tried to get her to stop, to slow down and take time for herself. But, she couldn't do that - never could," Jobal said sadly. "At least we do have a piece of her still," she said as she took one of the baby's small hands in hers and rubbed his little fingers.

"And make no mistake - he will be loved," Sola said fiercely, and Bail absolutely believed her. "He already _is_ loved. But I hope that you never _ever_ tell him what you just told us. When he's old enough to know the truth, we will tell him what we must, but he must never hear that she just gave up. I refuse to believe that she would just abandon her son, and I don't want him to ever feel like she did, either," she finished passionately.

"I'm inclined to agree with you there," Bail said diplomatically. _Let them be angry at me for now_ , he thought to himself. _So long as they never find out the truth about Anakin, then they and Luke will be safe_.

Bail Organa excused himself once he realized that the little family had turned in towards itself, all of them comforting each other. He had other preparations to attend to, and he could leave with a clean conscience on behalf of his friend's son. He only hoped that they never had any reason to find out the whole truth, or their lives would be forfeit - and that was not something he could live with.


	3. Chapter 3

Darred Janren Naberrie waited until Senator Organa was out of sight before he took in a deep breath and contemplated the door in front of him. He had given the Naberries their space for a few moments, since he still felt like an outsider whenever anything related to Padme was concerned. He had never really gotten to know his sister-in-law - she had always seemed aloof with him. She and Sola teased each other whenever they got together, and she thawed somewhat around her family, but she had never seemed to warm up to him entirely, no matter how hard he had tried to get to know her. She had already been Queen of Naboo when he and Sola had started dating, and by the time they had gotten married, she was well on her way to being a Senator. She had rarely come home to see her family, especially after the war had started, and when she did there was an entourage of security with her, which added another layer of impenetrability.

He paced a few times in front of the door before deciding that he had waited long enough. He needed to meet the child, no matter what had occurred already. He and Sola had tried for a son several times, and miscarried every time. He found it ironic that her sister had obviously not tried and failed at keeping her pregnancy secret and had a son anyway. He tried not to let bitterness overtake him and tried to remember that this child was innocent and would be raised as their own. He still hadn't quite processed the fact that their latest child, another _daughter_ , had been stillborn - it had always been the male children that had perished. _No matter, best go in and make the best of the situation that we've got_ , he thought to himself as he sighed and entered the room.

He entered to find Sola seated on the bed with Jobal next to her, both of them quietly murmuring to themselves as they looked at the tiniest human being he had ever seen. Ruwee was seated quietly on a chair in the corner of the room and made quick eye contact with him before returning to his quiet contemplation. Sola looked up and gave him a sad yet warm smile. "Come meet Luke," she said softly, and he complied as he vaguely registered that that had been the name that they had chosen for a son all those years ago before the first tragedy had struck.

Jobal quietly moved herself off the bed and squeezed his shoulder as he passed by. He felt like he was in a daze - as if he'd wake up and the last few nightmarish days would have been nothing but a strange dream. He sat down gingerly so as not to disturb the sleeping baby and sucked in a breath at how much he resembled their younger daughter as a baby. In that moment, he felt that perhaps the situation going forward would not be as difficult as he had initially thought. He tentatively petted the baby's head, running his finger over the soft spot, which always fascinated and enchanted him for some reason. "We should bring the girls to meet him, you know," Sola said softly. "Until everything is sorted out, we're not leaving this medcenter."

Darred nodded absently as he continued to stare at the child. He could pass for one of theirs easily, especially since neither of his daughters resembled each other in any way, yet no one questioned their parentage. "I suppose that I can bring them here after we have all settled some," he said quietly. He knew that there were still arrangements that needed to be made for the now double-funeral. Part of him was incensed that his daughter would be buried with her often-absent aunt and be subject to lookers and gossip. He wanted his baby daughter to be given a dignified burial, but he understood on a practical level the necessity to go along with the current ruse. He took one more look at his new...son… _Be worth it,_ he thought.

Darth Vader was in the most physical, psychic, and emotional pain that he could have ever imagined. Barely out of the surgery room and still reeling from what Palpatine had told him about Padme's demise, he tried to deny it as he listened to the doctor drone on and tell him about his suit and how it would work. Once he was left alone, he grabbed a datapad and searched frantically for news of Padme - he just wouldn't believe it until he had official confirmation. And then he found it. His world turned red for a few moments until he came back to himself and forced himself to read the news. Padme Amidala had perished due to complications from childbirth, and the child had perished as well - a girl. He had _known_ that the baby was going to be a girl - but winning that argument held no mirth as neither of the people he cared about most were alive to celebrate. The child had been unnamed, so the Naberrie family had taken it upon themselves to name her Anise Amidala. There would be a public viewing and memorial service, after which both mother and daughter would be buried in a mausoleum which would be open to the public only on certain occasions.

He set the datapad down and cursed his ruined eyes - he felt the need for tears to come, but they were so damaged now that they could not produce them. His anger mounted at Obi-Wan for what he had done in turning his wife against him. But Obi-Wan had not forced him to choke her - no, that had been all _his_ doing. _He_ was the one who had killed her and their daughter both. He had never hated himself more. He resolved to go to the funeral and say his goodbyes - it was the least he could do, given how horribly he had ruined _everything_. Darth Vader caught his new horrifying reflection and was suddenly glad of Padme's death - she would never love him now, and his child would have been terrified of him. This was his penance now - and he had earned it.

Emperor Palpatine watched his apprentice with satisfaction from the other side of the viewing window. Things had gone even _better_ than he had originally planned. The death of the child and the very public funeral would only further cement Vader's anger and hatred of himself, thus fueling the Dark Side further. Of course, he would go to the funeral and make the appropriate sad pronouncements, but he was glad of his apprentice's quick-fire temper in having rid him of what would have been a thorn in his side. With Padme Amidala and their child gone, there was no further loyalty to be had to anyone but himself. He would have to teach Vader control, of course. But, for now, he would harness that destructive power and unleash him against all enemies of the Empire until he had solidified his reign. Palpatine smiled and turned to his red robed guards: "Let us go and make arrangements to attend this funeral on Naboo." He wanted so badly to cackle at the moment, but he could wait until he was further away from his apprentice - no need to have that anger turned on him for such a petty reason.

Obi-Wan awakened with a jolt. He had felt a surge in the Dark Side and slowed his breaths to calm himself. He needed to be more vigilant of his feelings and be extra careful now that he would be staying on Naboo, at least for a while. He could not envision himself staying here with Palpatine no doubt coming on a regular basis. Padme's children were being taken care of, and he knew that his being anywhere near either of them for any prolonged period of time would only put them further at risk. While the Queen's gracious offer of refuge on Naboo warmed his heart, he could not repay her with recklessness. Staying on Naboo would be the height of recklessness. He would need to leave after a while. It would be in his best interest to scour the Outer Rim and see about any other survivors and how best to regroup and survive until the right time. He had no illusions about the consequences that could befall Naboo if he were found here. After all, now that the truth about Palpatine was known to him, it was painfully obvious that the invasion of Naboo had been his first major stepping stone to power. Obi-Wan cursed himself for having played his part in that fiasco as well - it seemed that he had been powerless to stop the Dark Lord of the Sith from the very beginning, even though he had been attendant at almost every major Galactic turning point in the last thirteen years.

He sighed and looked out the window towards the waterfalls in the distance. The need to leave at that instant was overwhelming, but he would pay his respects to Padme first and make sure that Luke was truly settled in. Once that was done, he would need to do something, and hopefully not muck it up as he had everything else. The one consolation he currently had was that he now knew the truth and the part he'd had to play in it. Whether he could convince others to join him and resist the evil that had taken over the Galaxy was another question entirely.


	4. Chapter 4

Sola was glad her milk had come in even though her daughter had passed on. She had been left alone with Luke to feed him - the elder Naberries had gone to finish up details for the funeral and Darred had gone to fetch their girls. She petted her nephew's - no _son's_ \- forehead as he suckled. She needed to start thinking of him as her son. He was not a replacement for their lost child, but he was a gift all the same. She would have time to mourn properly in her own way when the time was right, but she needed to make sure that her daughters did not suspect anything was amiss - as far as they knew, this was their new baby brother. She gave the baby a small smile - she enjoyed the bonding that occurred during feeding on a visceral level. It had taken a few tries to get Luke to latch on, given that he had only ever experienced formula in his very short existence, but he caught on and was now looking up at her placidly as he fed.

She petted the soft fuzz on his head and made eye contact with him. She knew that he couldn't see anything but blobs and vague shapes and shadows at this stage, but she had always made it a point to make eye contact with all of her children as early as possible. She already felt love for this little baby boy, and she swore that she could feel that he loved her too already. Noises from the hallway alerted her to her very excited daughters' arrival. "Time to meet your sisters," she smiled as she planted a kiss on Luke's forehead.

The noise abruptly ceased, and she guessed that Darred had shushed them before entering, even though she had already heard them. Pooja especially was an exuberant child. The door opened and her daughters entered with shiny eyes and a bouquet of fruit flowers. "Ooh, ladies, you have outdone yourselves!" she said as she accepted a kiss from each girl in turn. "May I?" she pointed at the beautiful edible arrangement. Ryoo snickered and held it within her grasp as she pulled off a succulent looking red berry and chewed on it appreciatively. " _So_ much better than what I have been forced to endure here," Sola said with a dramatic sigh.

"Is that the baby? Is it a girl or a boy? What's it's name? Father wouldn't tell us, would you?" Pooja asked excitedly as she tried to peer over her mother's shoulder at the suddenly still baby. Sola took the opportunity to lift him to her shoulder and burp him so that they could see his face. Darred helped her cover up as the girls awed over their new sibling.

"This is Luke, your new baby brother," Sola said as a wet burp sounded and the girls drew back with an "Eww!" between them. "These things happen," she said as she gently moved the baby to lay on her knees as she wiped his face clean from the spit up.

"They sure do," Darred said with a wrinkled nose as he handed his wife a new burp cloth. "I still remember that time that we had gone to the museum and Ryoo spit up on my hair while she was on my shoulders."

"Oh, goodness, I had forgotten all about that. It had been so crowded that day and we got such _looks_ from the people around us," Sola laughed at her daughter's mortified expression.

"Yuck," Pooja declared but giggled widely, which showed the gap where her two top front teeth had recently fallen. Sola couldn't help but smile at such an endearing sight - it was one of her favorite childhood stages.

"Can I hold him?" Ryoo asked earnestly. Sola just knew that her eldest took after her - she had always had a fascination with babies and would probably be a young mother like herself. She probably couldn't resist the temptation of what must look like a living doll to her. Pooja, the more outgoing of the two by far, was more interested in the social aspect of things, and Sola dreaded her going into any kind of public life. After what had just happened to Padme, which Sola still found suspicious, she was not keen on her children choosing any kind of public career.

"Come sit up here with me," Sola said as she scooted over to make room for her willowy daughter. Ryoo obeyed. "Make sure to hold his head up, since he can't support it on his own yet," Sola said as she transferred the baby into her daughter's eager arms. Another wet burp, albeit smaller than the one before, sounded and Pooja said "Eww" again. Sola wiped up the small amount of spit up that had dribbled out of Luke's mouth and watched her firstborn bond with her new baby brother.

"Can I hold him next? He'll stop burping by the time she's done, right?" Pooja asked as she practically bounced on her toes.

"You may, but you will have to sit still in order for that to happen. Think you can handle that?" Darred asked her with a wink. Pooja's eyes went comically wide for a moment but then she nodded enthusiastically. "Good, then bounce around now to get it out of your system," he said as she started hopping up and down with happiness, a goofy grin firmly plastered to her face.

They still had not been told what had happened to their Aunt Padme, and Sola was loathe to take their happiness away just yet. Eventually one or the other would notice that their parents weren't as happy as they should have been and they would have to proceed delicately from there. The funeral would be in two day's time, so they would be allowed this almost perfect moment for now.

Ryoo leaned down to sniff the baby's head. "He smells good," she said in a soft voice. Sola nodded and patted her daughter's sleek and shiny hair. All newborns had a certain intoxicating aroma that couldn't be explained. "He's so _leetle_ ," Pooja said as she craned her neck to get a better view.

Luke chose that moment to stretch and let out something between a squeak, a grunt, and a sigh as he folded back in on himself. Ryoo laughed, "He makes funny noises."

"Newborns do. Wait until you hear him cry. They sound like little farm animals at first," Darred said in all seriousness. His daughters stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. The abrupt noise and movement startled the baby, which made Pooja laugh harder and Ryoo panic a bit.

"It's ok, he's just a little startled. He's not crying or anything. Just try not to shake him too much," Sola soothed. Ryoo was the more sensitive and emotional of the girls and got upset rather easily. Ryoo nodded her head very seriously and went back to admiring her baby brother who was attempting to look up at the newcomer. "His eyes look like Grandpa Ruwee's," she said with awe.

"For now they do," Sola agreed. "But all babies are born with blue eyes. Yes - you two as well. We'll see if they stay that way or if they change later."

"We had blue eyes as babies? That's _weird_ ," Pooja said with obvious fascination. She was at a delicate age, where things fascinated her by turns, but her attention span was not long enough to truly comprehend certain things yet. Sola had to balance keeping explanations short enough to hold her younger daughter's attention, yet not seem condescending or patronizing to her older one. She wondered how the age disparity between the girls and their new sibling was going to work out - this was something that would have been an issue regardless of whether they were raising Padme's child or their own she realized with an inward stab of guilt.

The baby started fidgeting and whimpering. Sola checked his diaper and found it soaking. "Let me change him and then he'll be a lot happier," she said at the alarmed and disappointed look on Ryoo's face. She carefully hoisted him and herself out of the bed and to the little changing station right beside her. The girls followed and she heard an "Ew, what's _that_?" as Pooja's finger pointed at the remains of the umbilical cord, which was a shriveled stump at this point.

As Sola explained what an umbilical cord was and the girls stood in shock over where bellybuttons originated from, no one realized that they had an audience through the Force. Obi-Wan sighed with satisfaction as he felt the little family coalescing around its newest member. He had originally been gutted when Owen Lars had refused to take in his nephew, but he wondered if the Force had maybe not intervened to guarantee a better outcome for Anakin's son. He wondered if maybe a happier upbringing for the children than their father's would make the difference and ensure that neither would end up like him. He truly hoped so and surprised himself with the realization that he still had the ability to hope after all.


	5. Chapter 5

It was the night before the funeral, and Bail Organa had seen baby Luke sent off with his new family and secreted Leia in an orphanage for the next day until he was ready to "adopt" her officially. He had just sent Obi-Wan off to hide with one of Padme's handmaidens - Dorme, since he had received word that Palpatine had arrived and wanted to speak with him. Bail met with the Queen's envoys and followed them to meet with Palpatine. His heart stopped in his throat as they arrived where the bodies were waiting for the final preparations and he saw Palpatine and a human medic hovering over the deceased baby with medical equipment in hand.

"Ah, Senator Organa," Palpatine's ravaged face turned to him from under his hood. "Good of you to join us. I hope you don't mind the proceedings here - one can never be too careful in regarding the possibility of any kind of foul play," he crooned insincerely. Bail was horrified - the medic covered the spot on the baby's upper inner thigh from where he had removed a piece of flesh. He was more than glad that none of the Naberrie family was anywhere near the premises to witness what he was seeing.

A beep from the equipment brought everyone's attention to the medic. "99.8% maternal DNA match, Your Majesty," the medic said with only a slight quiver to his voice. "Would you like for me to search for the paternal DNA now as well?"

"No need for that," Palpatine waved his hand casually as Bail tried not to gape at the spectacle before him. "We aren't concerned about that, only that the child is indeed Amidala's. We wouldn't want any rumors to get out there of _decoys_ and live births. With official Imperial witnesses to the fact, that should spare her family the agony of any unscrupulous types trying to claim any conspiracy theories."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," the medic said and bowed once as he began to enter the official record into gods only knew what kind of database. Bail was extremely glad that he had had the foresight to speak to the Naberries when he had, or else Palpatine would have been hunting every single newborn in the entire Galaxy.

"Leave us - Senator Organa and I need to have a few words in private. After all, we were both very close to the late Senator," Palpatine said smoothly. The Queen's envoys hesitated for only a second, torn between loyalty to their dead queen and the new Emperor, but acquiesced and left the room. Palpatine was irritated over that little display of hesitance, but opted not to punish them immediately - he needed to seem benevolent still, especially with this delicate situation. At the very least, he now had proof that this was indeed Amidala's child, and this way Vader would be fully his and not nurture any fantasies from any attention-seeking conspiracy theorists that would inevitably emerge. He didn't want the paternal DNA tested so that there was no record of Anakin Skywalker - he needed Vader to release his former identity in every way possible. He also didn't want anyone making the connection between Amidala and Vader in the future either. He would have to tie up any loose ends regarding those few who did know Vader's identity once he had appropriate replacements picked out. His amusement at Senator Organa's shock and horror at what he had just witnessed fed the Dark Side and made him forget the slight from the Queen's envoys.

Bail Organa walked over to the baby, which had been left carelessly on the table and gingerly lifted her and put her in her small casket again. He tried to smooth out the silken fabrics surrounding her as best as possible and murmured an apology to the now-desecrated little body. He dared not look directly at Padme's body for too long, wracked as he was with guilt - but at least it looked as if it had been unmolested.

"So, Senator, I am to understand that you are the one that had Senator Amidala and her child returned to Naboo?" Palpatine asked smoothly. The hairs on Bail's neck stood up and he forced himself to look away from the baby girl.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said and cleared his throat. He hadn't realized that he had had a lump in his throat and blinked rapidly to clear his blurred vision. "I had received an urgent message from Senator Amidala saying that she was injured and needed someone she could trust, so I met her there. I stayed with her throughout the birth and her subsequent passing," Bail said as neutrally as possible. He knew he was dealing with a Sith Lord and he had to make extra sure that no suspicion about the circumstances could be cast on himself.

"She sent you a message? She _lived_ to give birth?" Palpatine asked, and Bail could feel genuine curiosity from the terrifying man in front of him.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied. "She had given birth, and then she started to decline for no discernible reason," he said honestly as his throat worked up and down again remembering that moment. Palpatine's eyebrows rose in a questioning manner, so he continued: "The meddroids said that she was perfectly healthy, but that they were losing her nonetheless. It was their opinion that she had lost the will to live," Bail said as he shook his head.

Palpatine sensed the truth in what Organa was telling him, but he also sensed that Organa was genuinely perplexed about Amidala's passing, as they both knew that she was not the type of person to give up. "A most terrible end to such a passionate and lively young woman," Palpatine said as he walked over towards the front of the room - away from the grieving man and the now cold corpses. "I suppose her family is quite devastated by this turn of events, yes?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, they are indeed," Bail said with a bark of laughter that surprised Palpatine. "Her family doesn't believe that she would have just given up the will to live, and were quite angry with me," he rubbed his chin and shook his head wistfully. "I could very much tell where her fire and passion came from, believe me."

"Of that I have no doubt, Senator," Palpatine said in an attempt to sound interested, but Bail could feel the fakery in his voice. "Well, I must thank you for taking care of such a delicate situation in such an efficient manner. I will take my leave to prepare for the morning's unfortunate task ahead."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Bail said with a bow. "I do hope you have a wonderful evening, in spite of the circumstances."

Palpatine nodded his head once in dismissal and the door opened as he approached it. His red robed guards intercepted the Naboo envoys and surrounded him as he made his way out to his speeder. He found that Organa had been truthful, but he also suspected that Organa knew just who he _really_ was. He didn't know if Padme had told him the truth after her encounter with Vader on Mustafar, or if Kenobi had met with him as well. He had not mentioned Kenobi, but then again, he didn't want to mention him either and confirm what he suspected Organa already knew. Either way, it really didn't matter. What mattered was that he had proof that the child had died, as had the meddlesome mother. His apprentice would have the proof he needed, minus the additional information that Senator Organa had given him. He would need to keep an eye on Organa to see what he did in the future - but he doubted that neither he nor the Naberries could ever prove Palpatine's hand in her death. For he had sucked her life force out from across the Galaxy through the Force bond she shared with her husband. He had used her life to keep his apprentice alive - but no one needed to know that. He smiled to himself - it looked like things were going _exactly_ as he had foreseen indeed.


	6. Chapter 6

Bail Organa's heart and feet hurt as he marched along with the Queen and her entourage towards Padme's and her niece's final resting place. He had been standing for over an hour waiting for the coffins to approach them and follow them to the entrance of the mausoleum, where the Emperor and his new right hand man, Darth Vader, waited. He had no doubt that Darth Vader was what remained of Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan had not killed the man, after all. He had been introduced to the Galaxy at large by Palpatine prior to Palpatine's arrival on Naboo, and he dreaded the moment when Obi-Wan would need to be told of this development. As it was, he hoped that Obi-Wan had taken everyone's advice and decided to stay at Dorme's home and out of public view.

Sola Naberrie's entire body hurt, but her feet ached especially. They had been tender towards the latter half of her pregnancy and still hadn't recovered from carrying all that extra weight for so long. She ignored her body's protests and concentrated on the ache in her heart as she and the rest of her grieving family approached the mausoleum. Her daughters were uncharacteristically quiet, Pooja especially, and she wondered just how much her younger daughter truly understood about death. Ryoo had immediately burst into tears and then gone straight into denial after being told the news of her aunt's passing. She remembered her aunt better than her little sister, and due to the holocalls they had engaged in over the years since they had last seen each other in person, was able to retain the idea of Padme as an actual person. She didn't know if Padme was more of an abstraction to Pooja or not, but she would deal with that when the questions came later. She chanced a look down at Luke, who had been strapped across her chest so that she wouldn't have to carry him in her arms the whole time, and saw that he was still sleeping. She hoped that he wouldn't wake up hungry and cry at an inopportune moment, but given how many people had turned out and how much sobbing from adults and children was already in the air, she figured his cries wouldn't amount to much additional noise.

Darred's hand found her free hand, the other being held by Pooja, and squeezed it gently. She tried not to gasp as they approached the front and got a closer look at their new Emperor and his frightening new appearance. She felt Pooja's hand tighten over hers painfully and looked down at her daughter. She was staring with wide fearful eyes at the Emperor and his new right hand man, Darth Vader. Sola felt a chill go up her spine and she squeezed Pooja's hand encouragingly as they took their places of honor as the immediate family of the deceased. She made sure that her gaze didn't stray to either of the horrible apparitions in front of her and tried to keep her eyes on her sister instead. She was going to do her best not to wail uncontrollably at the sight of her dead child and sister in front of her for however long it took for Palpatine to give his speech. She refused to think about her dead daughter, having already said her goodbyes at the medcenter. That particular wound would never heal, she knew.

Emperor Palpatine watched as the coffins stopped and noticed with mild interest that someone had seen fit to give the baby girl a crown of flowers to match the ones in her mother's hair. He eyed the devastated Naberrie family discreetly and let their anguish feed his soul. He could also feel guilt emanating from his apprentice to his side. He had heard that the older sister had finally had a child after several failed attempts in the last five years or so, and it seemed that this tragedy had occurred at a moment when the family should have been celebrating their new addition. Palpatine frowned inwardly at the show of weakness his apprentice was displaying, but then stopped himself from plotting to rid himself of the Naberries. There was an undercurrent of self-hatred there - yes, _yes_ , that he could use. He would keep Padme's family alive and figure out some kind of way to use them against his apprentice. He'd just have to be very careful in how he went about it, but he smiled inwardly as he thought of new ways to torture Vader into submission. With everyone now in their places, he put on his best sad face and stepped up to give his speech.

Obi-Wan Kenobi watched the holonews from Dorme's home and cursed himself for not having left Naboo sooner. His shields were as tight as they had ever been, even as his horror mounted at Palpatine's new face and the even more horrifying apparition next to him. He knew without a doubt that what remained of his old padawan was trapped inside that monstrous suit. As everyone went quiet to hear Palpatine, he could hear the nightmarish breathing mask at work, until Palpatine's sickly fake compassion was given voice. Obi-Wan cursed himself for not having seen what Palpatine had been all along. He cursed himself for not having disposed of Vader, as he should have. He cursed himself for having blundered his way through life and wondered if he wouldn't have been better off at the AgriCorps, and never had been chosen as anyone's padawan. It wouldn't have stopped Palpatine's rise, but at least he would have been blessedly unaware and not in the kind of pain he was in now. He would most likely be dead, but at least he wouldn't have been responsible for all the deaths that were yet to come. He cursed Anakin and Padme for their selfishness and weakness regarding their secret attachment. He cursed Master Yoda for not having seen Palpatine for what he was. He cursed Master Windu for going after Palpatine without having told anyone in the Senate beforehand and falling into Palpatine's trap, thus dooming the entire Order in one fell swoop. He mostly cursed Palpatine - for having used a fourteen year old girl and her planet as a springboard for power, for getting Qui-Gon killed, for starting a war that killed countless innocent beings for nothing but his own power, for twisting his padawan from the very beginning, for having suggested Anakin and himself as Padme's bodyguards and setting the stage for the attachment, for destroying the Jedi, for destroying everything that Obi-Wan had ever held dear. As Palpatine droned on with contrived sympathy, he vowed to do everything in his power to undo his mistakes. While he had been horrified at Yoda blocking the twins' connection to the Force at the time, he hoped against all hope that it had worked and that neither of those two monsters could sense either innocent child while they were both still on Naboo.

Darth Vader struggled to keep his breath even with that of the respirator. His lungs ached, his heart ached, his limbs ached where flesh met the prosthetics. Mostly his head hurt as his dry and damaged eyes took in the pitiful sight in front of him. He looked upon his dead wife, dead by _his_ hand, and the lovely baby girl with her crown of flowers set upon the sparse dark hair on her head. He wanted to reach out and touch them, but knew that such a display would not only displease his new Master _immensely_ , but would probably get him shot by any number of people guarding the procession. He tuned out Palpatine's voice and looked at the Naberrie family, who looked as devastated as he felt. Out of desperation and curiosity, he felt out their new baby through the Force and felt a twinge of disappointment as he realized that it was just an ordinary baby - much like the rest of his family. He felt the equivalent of a mental reprimand through the Force from his Master for such an emotional and impulsive move. He had indeed seen the medic's report and had to accept that his child and wife were dead. But he couldn't help his desperation at that moment and accepted the reprimand quietly. He knew he that he had destroyed their lives as much as his family's and his own - these were the consequences.

The funeral had finished, and the mourners were all making their way back to their homes. The Naberries came up one by one to say their last goodbyes. Bail Organa helped Ruwee Naberrie hold up his wife after she had almost collapsed and stood with them to the side as Sola and her family came to say their last words. Sola bent over her sister's head gingerly and repeated an ancient Nabooian blessing as she sniffled and covered the baby's head so as not to drop tears on him. Pooja was practically hiding behind her with fear due to their proximity to the Emperor, so she kept her final message shorter than she had intended. But, it was just as well, since anything truly personal she had to say to Padme didn't need to be said in such a public setting anyway.

"I must say that it is most unfortunate that what should have been a joyous event for you has turned out to be overshadowed by tragedy," Palpatine said out of nowhere. Sola blinked a few times and raised her gaze towards the man's unnaturally yellow/orange eyes.

"I thank you for your concern for us, Your Majesty," she said, perplexed over whether she had been insulted or commiserated with.

"Of course, you must have been used to this kind of thing occurring before. Forgive an old man his thoughtlessness," he finished smoothly. Darth Vader froze and dared not look at his Master, but he was shocked at the passive-aggressive level of disrespect he was heaping upon his wife's family. To bring up possible sibling rivalry at a funeral was beyond the pale, even for a Sith.

Sola Naberrie took the slight in stride and simply bowed once before taking her terrified younger daughter's hand and quietly signalling to the rest of the family her intention to leave. She would not subject them to whatever anger the political class harbored towards her sister due to her situation.

Darth Vader watched the broken-hearted family leave and made a Herculean effort to control his anger at his Master's amusement. It seemed that the old man wanted to play games with him and chose the worst possible target to raise his ire with. Vader chanced a look at a stoic yet pale-faced Bail Organa and he _knew_ that Organa knew just what Palpatine was and was most likely aware of Vader's own identity as well. He had been the one to bring Padme's body here, and he had no doubt that Obi-Wan had told him what had occurred on Mustafar. Vader looked beyond Organa at the equally stoic-faced Queen and her entourage, but for all that they hid their emotions outwardly, the Force rang with their simmering anger over what had just transpired.

Darth Vader felt like he was only beginning to realize just how badly he had actually miscalculated all along and knew that his Master was only toying with him and _enjoying_ it. His anger had no outlet in this situation, not without exposing himself and what he had done, and Palpatine _knew_ it. Palpatine was also safe from any retaliation from any of the other people present at the moment, and relished their anger and impotence. Vader had a terrible sinking feeling that he would be sent back to Naboo for pacification of "subversive" activities in the future at Palpatine's behest. And he was sure that the little _incident_ just now had been for ensuring just such a thing would occur.


	7. Chapter 7

Sola Naberrie was not a woman given to tears easily, but the night of the funeral, she gave in as she never had before. She had made sure that all of the children were asleep first, including the baby, for however short of an amount of time that was going to be. She had felt humiliated and insulted by the Emperor, no less, at her sister and daughter's funeral. The final release was not as cathartic as she had first expected. Darred cautiously entered the kitchen where his wife was sobbing at the counter and carefully put his arms around her shoulders, turning her so that her forehead was against his shoulder. He said nothing as he held her until she had been reduced to nothing but hiccups and let her withdraw when she wanted to.

Sola extricated herself and gave her husband a watery smile as she grabbed a cloth to dab at his now soaked shoulder. "Never you mind that," he told her gently with a smile of his own as he caught her wrist. She sniffled and nodded as she turned away to get herself some water. He did not offer any help, as he knew that she needed to feel some sort of independence at the moment - doing something, no matter how trivial was important to Sola in times of crisis. Although Darred had never seen her in such a state, not even after any of the lost children.

"I'm sorry," Sola started and then choked on a hiccup. She covered her mouth briefly and went on, "I guess I just got overwhelmed now that it's all done," she said sheepishly as she lowered her red-rimmed eyes to the floor.

"What do you think the Emperor meant by what he said?" Darred ventured, still angry on his wife's behalf.

"I suppose that as fellow Nabooian he felt that Padme had brought shame to Naboo due to her _situation_ ," Sola said as she relived that mortifying moment. "Seeing as Padme is already dead, he couldn't punish her, so he chose the closest thing he could," she said with a shrug. She knew Darred would not be convinced by her nonchalant gesture, but in the grand scheme of things, that particular moment had not been the worst out of the whole day, let alone the last several days.

She moved to sit at the table since her body was still protesting the birth, the long walk to the funeral, and the general lack of energy that accompanied the care of a newborn. Darred sat in the chair next to hers and took her hand in his, gently running his thumb over her knuckles. She sighed and went silent for a moment. Darred waited her out, he knew that she would have to say what was on her mind - Sola was not one to be pushed into anything she didn't want to do - whether it was talking about something she was not ready to discuss or suffering a fool.

"It sounds so cliched, but this all feels like a surreal dream," she said softly as she looked at their hands. "It feels like it just _can't_ be real. Padme was always larger than life - there were times when it seemed like she had become immortal," she laughed wetly and bitterly.

"In a way she is immortal," Darred said quietly. "She will always be remembered in history as the Warrior Queen who saved Naboo in our time of greatest need."

"I wonder if that won't change thanks to our new _Emperor_ ," Sola said the word with distaste. "The irony of our fellow Nabooian becoming the very thing she despised the most, and her turning up dead around the same time. A little too coincidental, don't you think?" she asked pointedly.

"Now, let's make sure neither of the girls hears you speak like that," Darred said as he paled somewhat. "We don't want to be considered traitors. We survive and live on in honor of your sister - she would want that."

Sola snorted softly. "Yes, one set of rules for her, one for the rest of us," she said as she took her hand out of his and folded her arms. "I'm sorry, that was beyond cynical of me, but I just can't find it in me to believe what we were told. The timing is just - "

"Don't finish that thought," Darred interrupted, suddenly angry. "What about our little Anise? Was _her_ death arranged by the Emperor?" he asked hotly and immediately regretted it as Sola recoiled as if struck. "Please forgive me, I don't know what came over me," he said apologetically. He didn't dare voice that he was tired of Padme always seeming to overshadow everything in their lives - their daughter had to be grieved along with Padme. It seemed that she always took and took from them - even in death.

"We are all tired and overwrought," Sola said hoarsely after a few moments of silence. "We are going to go on with our lives and that will be that - but there's no use in denying that something went wrong and we are not being told the whole truth."

"Perhaps it's for the best that we don't know. Especially since we are raising her son now," Darred said quietly.

" _Our_ son," Sola corrected quietly yet fiercely. She'd always known that Darred had never warmed to her sister, and she refused to let that still be an issue after her death. "Padme's death had _nothing_ to do with Anise's. That would have occurred whether Padme had lived or not. That still does not change that that baby is a gift all the same - regardless of whether _I_ birthed him or not. He's still my blood, but that is not the only reason why I should love him," she swallowed the lump in her throat and willed herself not to cry. "We had discussed adoption should we have had another stillbirth - we knew that it was a possibility. It's just that now we have to deal with several things at once. Given enough time, you will see past all of the current turmoil and come to love him as well. Don't resent him because of my sister."

Darred flushed and sat back, chastened and sad, but not as angry anymore. "It just feels like we haven't been able to properly mourn our little girl," he said so quietly she almost missed it. Sola gingerly got up and sat in his lap as she pulled his head towards her shoulder. They sat like that wordlessly for some time, until the baby monitor alerted her that Luke was hungry. He helped her slide off her lap and steadied her as she muttered "foot's asleep" and wandered to their room with a limp. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, knowing that what his wife had said was true. He just needed a little more time to come to terms with his new reality.

"So, where will you be running to then?" Bail Organa asked a suddenly stunned Obi-Wan Kenobi. He gave him a knowing smile, "You have the look of a man who is getting ready to run." Bail and Obi-Wan had been left at Dorme's home after she had gone to meet up with Sabe, Rabe, Yane, Elle, and Eirtae. The handmaidens had gone to discuss their options and grieve their Queen in whatever secret way they did.

"Surely you have to see that me staying here would endanger the entire planet," Obi-Wan said more defensively than he had meant to. Bail merely raised an eyebrow and grimaced after he took a swig of whiskey. "The Emperor baited the entirety of the planet with that barb at Sola Naberrie. I didn't even need to have the Force to see the anger that washed through that crowd - he meant for it to be heard. He meant to provoke all of Naboo with his actions - he means to undo everything that Amidala has ever stood for and to solidify his power further. He will probably keep an Imperial presence around to monitor everything going on here - and will not hesitate to use his own homeworld to make an example of to show the rest of the Galaxy what resistance will mean to them. After all, he already used them once," he finished bitterly.

Bail sighed and nodded his head slowly. "While what you say is most likely true, what will happen to Luke then? Were you not going to be the one to watch over him?"

"There is no point to that now," Obi-Wan said resignedly. "Tattooine was a good place for me to go into exile, where the Empire didn't reach. But it is also a lawless place where anything could have happened. I believe that Padme's family will be perfectly safe, regardless of whatever unrest manifests. Going after them would be vindictive and erode the Emperor's support. Luke is far safer than anyone else here would be should I be discovered." If Luke would have been discovered, it would have been at the funeral. But nothing had occurred and neither Palpatine nor Vader would be able to sense the Force in him so long as Yoda's Force block held.

"Where shall you go to then?" Bail asked with honest curiosity. He knew that Obi-Wan's argument was sound and felt relieved to know that Padme's son would be safe and cared for.

"Sabe had come over earlier and she and Dorme had spoken of starting a resistance of sorts against the Empire. I believe that I will stay on the move and try to help them recruit members to the cause and try to find any other Jedi survivors as well. If we are to move against the Empire at some point in the future, we will need to start gathering as many allies as possible, however covertly."

"Agreed," Bail said and finished off the whiskey in his glass.

"What about you? What will you do now? You are in a most public and precarious situation," Obi-Wan asked shrewdly. He had been appalled to hear what Bail had witnessed in the mortuary and also felt grateful that the Naberries had been an option after all. He shuddered to think what would have happened if Palpatine had found Padme's empty womb if they had gone with their original plan to make her seem still pregnant at her time of death.

"I shall be the ever-loyal Imperial subject and devoted new father," Bail replied with sarcasm which softened into wistful joy. "In the meantime, I will keep an eye on all of the members of the Delegation of 2000 and see how many stand true now that the Empire is a reality. After that, we will have to move very, _very_ carefully and covertly."

"I do not wish to tell you how to conduct your business, but I would not make any moves any time soon. It is already quite clear that the Emperor suspects you of not being loyal enough to him and he shall have you under scrutiny," Obi-Wan advised soberly.

"As if I hadn't been already?" Bail said with another raise of an eyebrow. "As of right now, things are too chaotic to do anything yet. It will be some time until things settle enough to be able to see just who can be trusted or not. The war didn't end, Master Jedi, this is just a brief interlude before hostilities begin anew."

"A war whose beginning we never saw coming," Obi-Wan said sadly.

"But, now we know the truth," Bail said in all seriousness. "Eventually enough people will see it as well. It won't be tomorrow, or even a year or two years from now. We will have to be patient and allow people to suffer further until they see it for themselves. I wish it were not this way, but this is where we are now."

"Patience indeed," Obi-Wan said with a snort. "It seems the Sith have taught the Jedi the true meaning of patience. And now the entire Galaxy must pay the price for our folly."

"It wasn't just the Jedi that failed, you know," Bail said softly as he put a hand on Obi-Wan's knee. "It was all of us. We allowed the Republic to get to the point that it did - all of us. The Empire would not have come into being if the Republic had been strong enough of an institution in and of itself. Perhaps this is one of those historical moments where tyranny has to be dominant in order for people to truly appreciate democracy and civic engagement."

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan said softly. "I dare hope you are correct, Senator. For if you are not, then I fear for how much darker the future could be than even we can imagine at the moment."

"I know that it seems hopeless now," Bail said gently. "But we must never lose hope. Once we lose hope - then that is when they have truly won. As long as we have hope, they have not won."

Obi-Wan nodded - he knew that the Senator's words were true, but he didn't have it in him to hope just yet. "I wish you all the best in your endeavors, Senator. Especially with your new...daughter," he said truthfully, though he was still uncomfortable with the notion of Padme's daughter being raised so publically.

"I will do my very best for that little girl - for her, for me, for Padme, for the Galaxy," Bail avowed passionately. And Obi-Wan believed him.


	8. Chapter 8

The first week after the funeral, the Naberrie family seemed to function on autopilot. The adults were sleep-deprived even with Jobal's occasional help. The elder Naberries were torn between all-consuming grief which prevented them from getting out bed, let alone leaving the house, and seeking the comfort of their only living daughter and her family. Ruwee was more distant and had returned to his work at the university after a few days' worth of bereavement. "Just like your father - always needing to do something to keep your mind off of things," Jobal had said after she had burped Luke and given Sola a minute to adjust her clothing.

"Well, the girls _did_ need to get back to school, and the baby is not going to take care of himself, so I consider 'doing things' a _necessity_ ," Sola retorted with no malice. With the girls being gone for the day and Darred back at work, it was nice to have her mother around so that she was not alone with only a newborn and her thoughts for hours on end. That way lay madness.

"Mmhm," Jobal said absently as she rocked her grandson back and forth. He was too young to be able to tell which parent he resembled most yet, but she spied Padme's birthmarks on his cheeks - one on the lower right near the chin, and the other up by the left cheekbone. The only difference was that her son's marks were lighter in color, whereas Padme's had stood out from the moment she had come into the world. Jobal wasn't sure if she wanted the child to resemble his mother or not.

Sola kept rummaging around, trying to find the bulb syringe so that she could attend to Luke's snotty nose. Her sleep-deprived mind suddenly remembered reprimanding the girls the night before for having taken it to their room and trying to use it on their baby brother after they had put him in one of the doll's cribs, where he had barely fit in. _Living doll indeed_ , she thought as she fished out the object in question from in between the folds of a pink blanket wadded up in the crib. She went back to the nursery next door and stopped herself as she watched her mother coo to the still awake baby in the rocking chair Darred had built for Ryoo as a baby. She allowed herself a small smile - the house was peaceful, not lonely and sad at the moment.

Jobal spied her smiling at her and smiled back. "I remember when you were this small - you _hated_ the rocking chair. You would not be pacified unless you were held up with your head on someone's shoulder or sitting on their lap facing out. You were not one for laying down _ever_ ," she laughed fondly.

"I must apologize for my terrible behavior as an infant then," Sola said, genuinely surprised. "How come I am just how hearing about this?"

"I don't know. Memory just came, unbidden, out of nowhere," Jobal said dreamily. "I suppose maybe because it's been so long since there's been a baby to hold…" she trailed off happily. Luke yawned in response and blinked up at his grandmother with unfocused eyes. "I wonder if he'll have chubby cheeks like Pooja did. I so miss having chubby cheeks to pinch," she teased her grandson who still stared at her impassively.

"I don't know if he'll take to them getting pinched either way," Sola said with some amusement. "He's much like Ryoo, in that he's placid, but not easily impressed."

"So I noticed," Jobal pretended to grump. "That is much like you. And Padme." A lump made it's way past both women's throats. Sola knew that the wound of her sister's death was still fresh, but she wondered when they would ever be able to speak of her again without it causing them pain. She dared not say it aloud. Instead, she squeezed her mother's shoulder and then set upon clearing Luke's nose out, much to his displeasure.

"Oh dear, mommy is being awfully mean, isn't she?" Jobal cooed to the squealing baby. Once Sola was done she shifted him to where his head was underneath her chin, his little body squashed up against hers and she shushed him as he burrowed his head further under her chin. Sola smiled and put down the bulb syringe when both women heard a knock at the door. Sola patted her mother's shoulder to get her to sit back down and went to answer the door. Obi-Wan Kenobi was there, much to her surprise, and she ushered him in quickly.

"What can I do for you, Master Jedi?" she asked and hoped that he had not noticed the disarray in the living quarters, what with burp cloths and baby blankets strewn about the couch.

"I was going to see if you required any of my services before I take my leave of Naboo," he said seriously.

"You know that you are always welcome on Naboo," Sola told him as she laid a gentle hand on his forearm. "The people will never forget your heroism during the liberation from the Trade Federation."

"Be that as it may, I cannot in good conscience endanger you or anyone else here, as the current Emperor does not believe that my heroism in the past will outweigh my being a Jedi," he replied truthfully.

"I am truly sorry that you feel that way. But should you ever require sanctuary, know that we are here for you," Sola squeezed his forearm gently. A baby coo from the nursery drew Obi-Wan's attention. "Would you like to see Luke before you go?"

Obi-Wan was suddenly torn. He had come to say his goodbyes, but now that the moment was upon him, he wasn't sure if we wanted to see the baby again or not. He was afraid that he would change his mind and want to stay after all. But, he needed to say his peace to Padme and Anakin's child. He nodded once and Sola led him to the nursery with a small crooked smile.

"Oh, Master Jedi!" Jobal exclaimed with unabashed glee. "How good it is to see you. How are you finding your stay here on Naboo?"

"Very peaceful, all things considered," Obi-Wan replied. He had noticed just how sensitive the Naboo were to how their planet was perceived by outsiders and how often they mentioned the name of their planet. It was a peculiar insecurity that he hadn't really noticed the first time he had been there, but definitely did now, even though he had been around less people this time around.

Sola took the baby from Jobal and began to bring him towards Obi-Wan, who blanked out and then let instinct take over as he held the child towards himself. "Well, hello there," he said to the blinking infant, at a loss for any other words. He had been afraid to see Anakin in his son, but didn't see much of anything yet, given the nondescript appearance most newborns had. "You're not red and wrinkly anymore - a vast improvement."

"Had you never seen a newborn before?" Sola asked with genuine curiosity.

"Human? No. Animal and other species? Yes. Make of that what you will," he said softly, not taking his eyes off of Luke. He had held Leia before and found her to be more vocal but more inclined to try to engage in her surroundings than her twin. The little boy only blinked at him, eyes widening only slightly every time he spoke. He wondered if he had forgotten his voice already and the fact that both he and his sister would both soon do so sent a strange pang through him.

"Well, that is a real shame. Now you can say you have at least," Jobal said earnestly.

Obi-Wan nearly let slip that he had now seen _two_ , but stopped himself in time. "Here's to hoping that I shall see many more, and in better situations," he said sadly as he watched the fontanel pulse on the baby's head.

"So, where is it that you are going to? Or is that something that I shouldn't know?" Sola asked slyly as she sat on the rocking chair and crossed her legs.

"I am going to be on the move - searching for other survivors and seeing what we can do with ourselves," he said honestly. He didn't care to think of sitting still in any one place for too long, let alone trying to make a home base where other Jedi could join him just for Vader or the Emperor to find them and massacre them on the spot.

"Know that you are always welcome here on Naboo," Jobal told him sadly and earnestly. _Again, with mentioning the planet's name_ , he smiled internally.

"I do thank you so very much for your offer. However, I cannot in good conscience endanger you or the rest of the planet. I am quite sure that the Emperor will have people keeping a close eye on his homeworld after all."

Sola frowned and Jobal's smile melted a little. "Be that as it may, I just cannot imagine the Emperor going after an entire population due to one Jedi being found here," Jobal said with a hand to her chest.

"I hate to disabuse you of that notion, but please be conscious of _everything_ that you say or do in public. Be conscious of who you speak to. The Emperor used the Trade Federation to launch himself into power - he is not above using you to show his _impartiality_ to the rest of the Galaxy. I, for one, refuse to be the catalyst for such a situation," he told them seriously. He hoped that they took his words seriously. He would not tell them about Palpatine being a Sith - they did not need to know that, if they even understood what it meant. But he wanted to impress on them just how precarious their situation truly was.

Jobal had blanched and looked at Sola, who was furious all of a sudden. "He used my sister to get a vote of no-confidence against Chancellor Valorum," she said with horror. "Tell me, Master Jedi - did the Emperor have anything to do with Padme's death?"

"Sola!" her mother exclaimed, scandalized.

"If you count destroying everything that she loved and cared about, save yourselves, then yes, you could say that," Obi-Wan said carefully. He had not intended for the conversation to go in this direction and berated himself for it.

"If you wish to not tell us for our own safety, then I can live with that. But I am _not_ satisfied with the explanation I was given, nor will I believe it to be true," Sola said fiercely. Jobal sighed with exasperation and covered her mouth in horror at her daughter's behavior.

"You may believe what you wish," Obi-Wan said carefully. "Just please be careful of who you speak these opinions to. In fact, I wouldn't speak of them at all."

The women nodded simultaneously, Sola angrily accepting of the implications, and Jobal silently horrified. "I must thank you again for taking in this little soul," he told them to lighten things up. "One day he will truly understand what you have done for him, and his gratitude will pale next to mine. But, just know that you are doing the entire Galaxy a favor."

Sola felt suddenly uncomfortable. "I'm sure he'll be grateful, but you never know. He could be angry at the situation, and I wouldn't blame him for either reaction. We shall cross that bridge when we get there. Besides, there was never any question about me raising Padme's child. He's as good as mine as is. Don't you worry, Master Jedi - he will be loved and cared for and spoiled like no other."

Obi-Wan nodded once and gave Luke back to his new...mother. "I shall take my leave then. May the Force be with you," he bowed to Sola and Jobal led him out.

Sola sat and rocked her baby boy gently. "I know he meant well - but you are not _indebted_ to anyone in this life, little man," she told him as she tapped his nose with her index finger. "You get to make your choices about your life, and I won't let any Jedi take you and tell you what to do or be." She sighed and stared at the still awake newborn whose only response was a hiccup. "I just hope you make better choices than your parents did."


	9. Chapter 9

Darred turned off the holo with a grimace and chanced a look at his wife. She sat with lips pressed together and fire in her eyes as she gently stroked the sleeping baby's head. It had been two weeks since the "upheaval" as he referred to it, and things had started to calm down some, only to have this...setback...occur. Emperor Palpatine had decreed that the new Empire Day would be celebrated on Naboo's traditional First Day of the new season - when the equinox brought about the warmer seasons and thus new life. He was more than certain that the Emperor had chosen the date not just because of its cultural significance and the fact that he was Nabooian, but also because it was the date of Padme's death. And if he had figured that out, he had no doubt that Sola had as well.

The comm unit went off and Sola answered a tearful Jobal Naberrie. Darred gave her a tight smile and made his way to Ryoo's room, where he heard an argument that was dangerously close to escalating into an all-out fight. "Girls," he said warningly as he entered without knocking. "Your mother and grandmother are trying to speak on the holo. I'm certain that they don't want to hear your bickering in the background."

Ryoo turned tear-filled eyes toward her father: "Pooja said I had to be adopted, because her and the new baby have light hair and I have dark hair," she hiccuped. _If only you knew_ , he thought to himself.

"You know full well that that is not true," he told her reassuringly as he patted her shoulder. Ryoo was so very sensitive, much like he had been as a child. "Pooja, why would you say something like that to your sister?"

"Because that's what the other children were saying at school. The other day when mother came to get us, they saw the baby and they told me that Ryoo didn't look like me or Baby Lukie," she said matter-of-factly, not realizing just how hurtful such a thing was. She was at a delicate age, where only overt cruelty was recognized as such - brutal honesty was the trademark of all young children, after all. Or at least until they were taught proper social norms, whether they understood why they were in place or not.

"If all the other children said that this was Alderaan and not Naboo, would you believe that too?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No, that's just silly!" Pooja exclaimed, still clueless to why her sister was in such turmoil.

"Well, so is those children saying that you are not sisters by blood," he stated bluntly. "They don't know this family or that Ryoo looks a lot like my side of the family, except that she's got dark hair. You get your curly hair from the Naberries, Ryoo gets the straight hair from the Janrens. Just because you don't look alike doesn't mean you aren't sisters," he said soothingly as he made sure to look at both of the girls.

"Thank you father," Ryoo said with relief as she sniffled. She allowed herself to sit next to her father on the floor and put her head on his shoulder. Darred sighed inwardly - he missed the days when she crawled into his lap and acted like he was her only protector. He wasn't ready for his girls to grow up, but at the same time, couldn't wait for Pooja to outgrow the constant social faux-pas stage.

"Just remember, next time someone says something like that, don't take it seriously or repeat it. If you have a question, ask your mother or me, ok?" he asked and both girls nodded in response. His logical architect's mind could not understand how children believed just about _anything_ they were told, but he wondered if that was more a sign of his age that he had forgotten what it was like to be young and impressionable.

"Girls," Sola announced from the doorway suddenly, causing all three occupants of the room to jump a little. "Sorry," she said with a small smile. "I know that that was an intense conversation, but I need you to clean up and get ready for dinner. Grandmother Jobal and grandfather Ruwee are coming over, so you need to be looking your best so Grandmother doesn't fuss," she said looking pointedly at Pooja.

"Yes, ma'am," the girls chorused and dispersed to their duties as the parents exited the room. Darred waited until they had reached the kitchen, where they would be out of earshot, to ask his wife if Jobal was alright. Sola sighed as she put the remains of the muja fruit she had abandoned during the Emperor's broadcast into the disposal unit.

"She's not. She and father really want to be with us right now. They are upset over the continuing insults to Padme, they don't understand the vindictiveness. And to be honest, I don't either," she said as she looked at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"I'm not sure what to say," Darred said as he put an arm around her shoulders, being careful not to jostle the baby awake. "I think that the Emperor will be someone that shall haunt all of Naboo to our everlasting shame," he said honestly. He hadn't been completely unaware of the political situation, and had been horrified at seeing peaceful protests being shut down ruthlessly and lethally, especially where the non-human populations were concerned. He worried about the Empire descending on the Gungans in the near future and creating instability on Naboo itself.

"It feels like a vendetta," Sola said fiercely. "Not just against democracy, but Padme as a person. And it frightens me that he might come after _us_ for no other reason than that he apparently had a severe falling-out with her."

"I don't think he will," Darred said soothingly. "I should think that that would be a bridge too far. It would most certainly backfire as far as the public is concerned - and he very much needs them on his side. I think the extent of his involvement with us took place at the funeral."

"Not the best portent of things to come," Sola replied acidly as she felt Luke's diaper and found it soaking. "I'm going to change this little one and get him ready for mother," she said as she kissed Darred's cheek and disappeared. Darred sighed - he hoped he hadn't just told her a lie, but he didn't want to be callous and tell her the Gungans were more in danger than themselves. He decided not to be a pessimist and hope that Naboo would be left unspared so as not to reflect badly on the Emperor's homeworld.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Darth Vader asked from his kneeling position in front of Emperor Palpatine. He had just "pacified" a group of teenagers in front of the Coruscant Library who had protested the recent curfew. Why Palpatine had wanted children squashed publically was beyond his ability to comprehend. He would much rather have been sent to intercept the last remaining Separatist holdouts who refused to acknowledge defeat.

"Rise, my friend," Palpatine said in his sickly sweet voice. "I have here the final autopsy and DNA results to confirm that neither you nor I were deceived regarding Amidala's death," he said as he produced a datapad and handed it to a shell-shocked Vader. Why had he brought this up again? He wisely said nothing and perused the results, which verified what Palpatine had told him - death in childbirth due to weakened larynx. The child was, of course, verified to be Padme's - but no ties to himself? And when had he tested the dead child? Anger coursed through his veins at the thought, but he tamped it down lest he receive a punishment from his new Master.

"I felt that probe in the Force towards the new Naberrie baby," Palpatine said, all business all of a sudden. "I do not want our new Empire to be undermined by any distractions or fantasies on your behalf - am I understood, _Lord Vader_?"

"Yes, my Master," he replied hollowly. He felt numb. He wasn't sure whether he preferred the numbness or the pain, for at least the pain made him feel alive.

"Do not concern yourself with _any_ part of Anakin Skywalker's life - that is in the past. That man is dead, as he should have been all along. His wife had been a traitor anyway," Palpatine said with anger, and Vader was left wondering if he would have ever allowed her to live had he not choked her. She would not have agreed to the Empire's existence or policies willingly. He put those thoughts aside - he could not fathom his failures regarding his wife at that moment. He was glad to be rid of Skywalker's weakness - he needed to move forward. Perhaps then he would never feel pain again.

"Yes, my Master. You are correct," Darth Vader replied as he buried any hopes of having any living family left. The Darkness and his Master were all that he had left. That, and his Empire.

"Good," Palpatine said as he sat back in his throne and steepled his fingers. "Now that that is out of the way, let's discuss where pacification efforts will be most benefited by your talents."

Obi-Wan Kenobi retreated to the back of the ship as Dorme and Sabe fumed and raved and cried over the Emperor's betrayal of all that they and their Queen had ever held dear. He had not realized the enormity of the Emperor's address and what it had meant to the Naboo. He sighed and realized that there was so much that he didn't know about the Galaxy at large. As a Jedi, he had gone to many different worlds as a padawan, a negotiator, then a general. But, he had never really gotten to know anything about those people or their worlds beyond the superficialities needed to get the job done. Whatever small cultural trivia had been needed had been discarded from his memory banks once the mission had been completed.

He felt a deep shame from the bottom of his toes to the top of his head envelop him. _It's no wonder we failed_ , he thought. _We couldn't be bothered to get to know the people we were supposed to be serving - we only cared about the results_. He wondered if perhaps Luke and Leia would succeed where they had failed, since they would be raised in loving and well-educated families who would teach them about the wider Galaxy in the ways that mattered.

As Obi-Wan listened to the sobs from the women in the cockpit, he wondered what it would be like to let himself feel the way that they did. Instead of just releasing his feelings into the Force, what if he allowed himself a cleansing cry or laugh? He noticed that the handmaids were the height of professionalism when on the job itself and had more control over their emotions during chaotic situations than many a Jedi. He fought the part of himself that scoffed at the violation of the Code, since there was no more Code to uphold anymore. _And perhaps that is not such a bad thing_ , he thought. _Besides, there is so much more I need to learn_.

He hoped that any survivors that he found would be able to help him find his inner footing again. But that was selfish - he was a Master and had been a Council member. They would most likely be expecting support from him. Obi-Wan sighed and sank onto the floor, knees up to his chest and his forearms resting on them. After a few moments of just sitting there, he allowed the first tears to fall from his eyes since he could remember - and he had done it willingly.


	10. Chapter 10

Four months later saw the Naberries much more rested and less shell-shocked. School had let out for the girls and the family took to the resort on Varykino to escape the near-constant press inquiries. It seemed that the press thought that it had given the family adequate enough time to mourn and were wanting their thoughts on the "scandals" that plagued Padme's later life. Most of them were not even from Naboo, but from Coruscant, and Darred and Sola could not help but wonder if they were there on the Emperor's behalf or if it was due as much to Padme's high visibility in Galactic affairs.

The family had finally started to begin relaxing after a few days at the lake house once they realized the press had not followed them there. Sola had allowed the girls to go swimming after the brightest part of the day had past, given how fair-skinned they both were. She sat herself on the shore next to Luke, who was happily snoozing on a blanket. She couldn't wait to see his reaction to the water. Thankfully, he had been sleeping through the night for a few weeks, and Sola hoped that it was a permanent change. She and Darred had definitely decided to have no more children, for even if they hadn't had enough heartbreak already, it had been a lot harder on them with this baby due to their ages. Having children when in one's twenties was a very different proposition from having one in one's thirties. The sleep-deprivation and lack of energy was much harder to overcome with this child, but thankfully the worst part was over.

Sola sighed and leaned back on her elbows, allowing the sun to warm her face. They had been so cooped up due to the media stalking them that she had almost forgotten what natural light felt like. All the curtains had been drawn in the house, and everyone's moods had soured as what felt like a siege had continued to drag on. She and Darred had noticed an immediate change in the girls' demeanor once they had left Theed behind. They had run screaming through the lake house and then continued to scream themselves hoarse in the gardens. Sola allowed it, given how incredibly patient the girls had been throughout the upheaval in their normally orderly and routine lives. Pooja in particular had suffered from the confinement, and Sola was glad to see the twinkle return to her eyes after mere hours of being set free in Varykino.

A shadow passing over her and movement to her right alerted her to Darred joining her. "Thought you were going to get some work done?" she asked without opening her eyes or turning her head.

"I was, but I figured I needed to unwind some myself. No sense in coming out here just to coop myself up some more," he chuckled. Sola smiled and nudged his shoulder with her forehead. He kissed the top of her head and made his way towards the girls, who were happily engaged in a splashing fight.

Sola enjoyed the view of her family playing in the water, Darred occasionally teaming up with one of the girls against the other. Their happy shrieks wafted up to her on the light winds from the lake and she wondered if it were possible for them to permanently relocate. A rustle and a sneeze signaled Luke's awakening. "Hello, sleepyhead," she crooned at him, still smiling. Luke was slow to wake, like she herself was, ironically enough. He blinked slowly at her and sighed as he rubbed his eyes with his fists and settled again only to bring his head back up abruptly in confusion at the new surroundings. She laughed, which startled him, but he looked up at Sola and gave her a gummy smile.

"Come here, silly," she said good-naturedly as she scooped him up and sat him in her lap. She watched Luke as he took in his surroundings with wide-eyed wonder. She laughed the first time he startled when the breeze hit him full in the face. He jumped a little each time it happened, but giggled after the first few times, as if he and the wind were playing a tickling game. They had discovered that Pooja had the best ability at making the baby laugh. Ryoo was the best at soothing him. The girls had been so good with their new sibling, no real jealousy had occurred. There were a few incidents at school, but none relating to Luke, as had the first one - all of them had centered on Padme and their relation to her. Luke had proven to be a good distraction from all of the inquiries about their departed aunt from their peers, who had been told who knows what by their gossipy parents.

Darred had come back from the water and sat next to her as he shook his head, splashing both Luke and herself. Luke squealed and giggled with delight as the water droplets peppered him. He was a water baby, through and through - bath time was his _favorite_ time. _Just like Padme_ , Sola thought with a pang as she smacked Darred on the arm. He laughed, then proceeded to have a coughing fit, since he had still not caught his breath from his exertions. Sola shook her head and passed him a water bottle.

"Thanks," a teary-eyed Darred told her after he had gotten control of himself again. "Was that funny, little man?" he asked Luke, who began kicking his legs excitedly. Thankfully, after the first tense few weeks, Darred had warmed up to the baby, and had confessed to her that he looked forward to future father-son activities once Luke was old enough to participate in them. Darred tickled the baby's belly, which had led to another set of giggles. It was probably one of Darred's favorite sounds, and Sola remembered how he had tried desperately to get Ryoo to laugh as a baby, to no avail for the most part. She had been very serious even then.

"Are you going to take him in?" Darred asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I was just waiting for him to wake up. I don't think you'd like it if you were woken up by being thrown into cold water," Sola replied as she put some sun protectant on the now squirming baby.

"Fair enough," Darred said as he helped hold down the wriggling baby boy. He suddenly found himself with a handful of cream being heaped on his face.

" _You_ are being a bad influence," Sola chided him as she blended it in for him. Darred shrugged and grunted, but submitted to his wife's wishes. He could vaguely hear the girls laughing at him, which made it worth his temporary humiliation, if only to hear that which had been so lacking lately.

"Alright, Lukey, let's see what you think," Sola murmured into his ear as she made her way down to where her daughters were. They both noticed her and came up closer to their mother with eager looks on their faces. They loved laughing at the baby's reactions to anything new, since he made funny noises _and_ faces.

Luke smiled once he had stopped staring goggly-eyed at the water and noticed his sisters. He kicked his feet happily and let out an excited squeal. "Drop him in, Mother!" Pooja said excitedly.

"I'm not dropping him in. Wherever did you get such an idea?" Sola asked, horrified.

"I saw a docu-holo, and they said that babies already know how to swim. You can just drop him in and he'll swim on his own," Pooja said, confused at her mother's reaction.

Sola frowned and shook her head as she proceeded slowly into the water. She winced and took in a sharp breath as the water hit the tops of her thighs - it was colder than she had anticipated it being. It was still early in the warm season, so the water had not warmed up all the way. She ignored her daughters snickering at her and braved her way forward far enough to dip Luke's feet in. His eyes popped wide open and he curled his legs up as far as they would go almost immediately to the girls' delight. After a few more minutes of acclimation for both mother and child, everyone was happily playing in the water. The only part that Luke had not enjoyed was getting splashed in the face, which Sola reflected, no one really did. She allowed Ryoo to take Luke to the shallower part, where she spun him in circles in the water as he squealed with delight. "Mama," she heard as Pooja assaulted her with a crushing hug. It had been a long time since she had called her "mama". "I think this might be the _best_ day ever," she averred.

"I'm glad, sweetheart," Sola said as she cradled her daughter's wet head. Darred surveyed the scene around him with a smile. It seemed like maybe things were finally going to be looking up for his family. If not, they had at least made the right decision in coming to the lake house for a respite.

On Dagobah, the oldest surviving Jedi hummed to himself as he withdrew his inner eye from viewing the family scene on Naboo. He had tried meditating several times, and while the future was, indeed, in constant motion, he felt better than he had since the immediate aftermath of the destruction of the Republic and the Jedi Order. His previous visions had shown him Obi-Wan sacrificing himself and leaving most of the Jedi training to Yoda. But, now he sensed that Obi-Wan was beginning to heal, even against his own stubborn propensity for self-punishment. Perhaps it was the Force's will after all, that this was to be how things were to play out, and not how Yoda himself had originally planned. If Obi-Wan could save even one or two surviving Jedi, the perhaps it would be easier to train the boy when the time was right. Obi-Wan needed to be able to feel like he was not a failure. Living as a hermit with only his regrets and watching over a constant reminder of his fallen padawan would not have made him an ideal instructor for anyone.

Not only that, but the boy now would not be as dangerously ignorant and naive as he had been in Yoda's original visions. Living in a more civilized system would give him a more rounded education by virtue of location alone. While he still cringed at the memory of blocking both of the infants' access to the Force, he realized that it was better this way. There were so few lights left in the Galaxy, that there would be no guarantee that even the distance of Tattooine would have protected the boy. From Vader, yes - but not from Palpatine's far-seeing eye. Yoda sighed and went to tend to his dying fire by the structure that would become his home once it was finished. He sensed that the time for change would come sooner than in his original visions, but it would not be anywhere near as traumatic for all involved as the first visions had shown him. For the first time in a long time, Master Yoda smiled. The Force was still with him.


	11. Chapter 11

Another half a year had passed, and Sola Naberrie had survived the anniversary of her youngest daughter's and her sister's death. They had celebrated Luke's Life Day with just family and tried to make it as much about him as possible, only shedding tears after the festivities were over. It was not his fault that such terrible things had happened during his entrance to the Galaxy. Sola wanted to make sure that he never felt overshadowed by events that had been beyond his control in the future, and even if he would never remember his first Life Day, she figured the habit had better start immediately.

Darred had recently baby-proofed the entire house, since Luke had practically started running once he got the hang of walking. Both girls were more settled now and the children had stopped being pestered at school by their peers when they realized that the girls were not going to give them the satisfaction of giving them information for their nosy parents. All in all, things were looking up for Sola Naberrie. She smiled fondly at Luke as he squealed in happiness at the bird on the tree branch outside their window. The bird studiously ignored the loud child, rather focused on a flitting insect near a blossom. Sola breathed in deeply, enjoying the fresh air that had started to warm up after the cold season's passing. She frowned momentarily as she realized that the streets were remarkably quiet all of a sudden.

Sola shifted Luke on her hip as he babbled in nonsense-speak and looked beyond the tree to the street. There was no one walking around, no speeders, there were windows shut at every house she could see. Something was off, and she wondered if she had been _that_ enclosed in her own bubble that she hadn't noticed. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as the unsettling silence continued on.

Suddenly, she heard a speeder approaching. She recognized Darred piloting, and was concerned with how quickly he was moving - normally he was a much more cautious driver, especially with the girls on board. She felt a chill race down her spine as she moved towards the door to meet him. Sola's eyes widened in surprise as her daughters came into the house, obviously confused as to why they had been taken from school at midday. " _Father,_ what's wrong?" Pooja asked, and from the impatient sound of it, she had already asked the question several times.

"Not now, Pooja," Darred replied rather irritably. Pooja deflated and looked to her mother, who was now _really_ worried. Normally she was the one who handled discipline - Darred was rather a softie for his daughters, especially Pooja. "We are to remain in the house - do _not_ go outside, not even to play," he said as he went to shut windows. Luke whined in displeasure at being ignored by his father and by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Sola finally shook herself from her state of shock and followed Darred as he looked out the window that gave access to the main side of the street and then closed it. "What is _going_ on?" she asked, hating how scared her voice sounded at the moment.

"The Empire has arrived, there are Stormtroopers all over Theed," Darred said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Most of them are concentrated near the Palace, and rumor has it that Lord Vader himself is there. Everyone has been instructed to go to their homes and remain there. Anyone violating the curfew will be arrested on the spot," he said as calmly as he could as his eyes darted around. Sola didn't know what he was looking for, but she didn't like the frantic nature of his movements.

"Is there any particular reason why?" she asked as she tried to control Luke, who was holding his hands out towards Darred in hopes of being held by him.

"No," Darred said as he darted forward and opened a drawer from which he withdrew a pole with a hook. He took to the stairs and used the pole to bring down the window treatments on the high window at the top of the landing.

"The house is starting to get mighty dark for midday," Sola frowned. "Why are we worrying about stormtroopers?"

"We don't want them looking in _here_ , do we?" Darred asked as he started going through all the upstairs rooms and closing windows and window treatments as well. Sola sighed exasperatedly and started bouncing a whining Luke. She thought that the entire situation was overkill. Darred was being paranoid and not answering questions, but then again, the rest of the street seemed to have taken the same measures that he was now. She turned to look at her daughters, who had followed her in silence and just stared at their father as he manically went through the house.

"Let's see what the Holonews has to say," Sola told her girls and ushered them to the living room downstairs. They quietly sat on the couch, perturbed by the adults' behavior. Sola set Luke down in his playpen and let him howl his displeasure while she went to turn on the Holoset. She frowned as nothing came through - just a blank display. Channel after channel all displayed the same thing - nothing. An involuntary shiver caught her and she turned the set off, turning to her wide-eyed daughters. At some point, Ryoo had extricated Luke from his playpen and he was snuggled into her, sniffling. "Did anyone say anything at school?" she asked as evenly as she could, noticing that Pooja was near tears. Whether from fear or frustration, or both, she couldn't tell.

"No, they just told us that we had to go _straight home_ and not go anywhere else. Father met us on the walk back and told us to get in the speeder. He wouldn't answer _any_ of our questions," Ryoo replied irritatedly. It seemed that the only thing keeping her from going into a full meltdown herself was the fact that neither of her parents knew what was happening either. Everyone turned as footsteps announced Darred's arrival into the room. He swept his eyes over the now darkened house and went to turn on a soft lamp in the corner as he slumped into the chair next to it, his head in his hands. No one said anything for a few moments - the only sound was Luke's occasional sniffle.

Sola walked over to her husband warily and noticed that his hands were shaking. She took hold of his hands and he raised his head to look at her. She noticed true fear in his eyes, and she knew that he knew more than he had let on already. _Must be to not scare the girls_ , she thought to herself as she pulled his head towards her chest. He sighed and slumped into her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Rustling and footsteps alerted her to her children sitting down next to their parents. Darred gave them a shaky smile and opened up the hug to let them in. They sat together quietly for a while - all of them scared and confused. The quiet inside and outside the house was _deafening_. Even the baby was quiet, which was a strange occurrence under any circumstances.

Everyone jumped as the buzzer sounded from the Holoset, which turned on automatically in case of emergency. No image was transmitted, but an audio recording came through: " _Citizens of Naboo - your Queen has been found to be a traitor to the Empire. It has come to the Empire's attention that Queen Apailana had been harboring Jedi and other traitors on Naboo soil. She has been executed for treason, as have the Jedi who were trying to blend in and corrupt your society. Please comply with all curfew requests while the Empire's bravest search for any other conspirators. It is recommended that you comply with the curfew and any other requests made to you by the Empire. Failure to do so will result in immediate arrest_." The message repeated itself again and then the Holoset shut off.

Everyone sat quietly as the news sank in - another Queen dead. And only a year after Padme had met her demise. Sola hoped against all hope that Obi-Wan Kenobi had not been among the dead Jedi. Not only had he saved her son and helped bring him to their family, but he had been a hero during the Invasion of Naboo. She supposed she would know the answer soon enough. She met Darred's worried eyes and understood why he hadn't wanted to say anything to the girls initially.

The quiet became overbearing, and Sola thought she would crawl out of her own skin. Thankfully, someone's stomach growled, and she took the opening. "I suppose we ought to eat something. There's nothing saying we can't do _that_ ," she said as cheerfully as she could muster as she got up to make lunch. At least _something_ routine was taking place, and the atmosphere seemed to relax some at that prospect.

Once the family had settled to eat, the quiet continued, but at least they were doing something. Luke had gobbled his meal up in record time and was rubbing his eyes sleepily in his highchair. Darred spared him a smile and patted his head affectionately. "Too much excitement for one day, huh buddy?" he asked softly.

A sudden loud knock at the door had everyone jumping again. Luke froze for a second, and then started wailing. "Open up, by order of the Empire! This is a search party!" an official sounding voice intoned. Darred threw down his napkin and walked to the door as another loud knock sounded. Apparently they had not answered quickly enough. As soon as he opened the door, the officer handed Darred a datapad: "Search warrant, by order of the Emperor himself. Please move out of the way, citizen." Darred stood in shock for a moment, only to be pushed roughly out of the way by stormtroopers who proceeded into his home and started ransacking everything promptly.

Darred turned to his stunned family. The baby was squalling, Pooja was crying silent tears, and Sola and Ryoo could only stare in shock and horror at what was occurring in front of them. Two stormtroopers came to the table where they were seated and pushed them out of their chairs and overturned the table. Food went everywhere, plates crashing and breaking on impact with the tile floor. They checked the underside of the table, but it seemed perfunctory at best. If Darred didn't know any better, he would have thought that it was nothing more than a pretext for harassment versus an actual search.

Sola picked herself off of the floor and grabbed a screaming Luke from his highchair. She jumped as she heard a crash in the room directly above them - _her_ room. It sounded like a dresser. She heard tinkles of glass, and knew that some of her glass animal figurines that she had been collecting since she was a child were destroyed. Her daughters and Darred joined her in the corner between the living room and the kitchen, where they would be out of the way. They could only watch silently as their home was systematically ransacked in front of them. A stormtrooper was unnecessarily rough with pulling a flimsi picture from the refrigeration unit, tearing a Life Day drawing that Pooja had made for Darred a few months back. Pooja gasped and Sola saw angry tears course down her face.

Loud angry footsteps were heard at the entrance of their home, and a dark voice boomed out: "Commander! What is the meaning of this?!" All eyes turned to Darth Vader himself, who strode in and stood menacingly over the officer who had demanded entry in the first place.

"Lord Vader - search and seizure of the premises, on direct orders from the Emperor!" the Commander shouted out as he handed a datapad for the Sith the look at. Darth Vader snatched it from the terrified man's hand and perused it. Indeed, Emperor Palpatine had ordered for the Naberrie home to be searched, with no proof of malfeasance, but rather the charge of being associated with _undesirables_. The names listed as such were his former wife, Padme Amidala, and now former Queen Apailana. So far as Vader or anyone else had ascertained, the only contact the Naberries had had with Queen Apailana had been her attendance at the funeral. He knew instinctively that this was just another way to harass and intimidate Padme's family as well as irritate him personally. Padme had barely been in contact with her family after their marriage, and he knew that they didn't know about that, let alone anything else of a highly sensitive nature. He was furious that he had not been advised of this matter, but the Commander directly. He had wanted to know where a particular detachment of his had disappeared to, and had had to find out from a Security Officer. The intent was clear - to enrage him and remind him of his place in the hierarchy of things. Palpatine _always_ had to have the upper hand.

Darth Vader wordlessly shoved the datapad back at the Commander and swung around to address the stormtroopers nearest him. "Are you actually searching for anything or just wantonly destroying property?" he asked acidly. The troopers straightened and started to do a more methodical search, although most of the damage had already been done. Darth Vader's blood boiled, knowing that they had been instructed to do nothing but cause destruction on the pretext of searching for something, regardless of what the datapad said. He knew all about "unofficial" instructions.

Darth Vader turned to the Naberrie family and wondered if they had all been trained to stand so stoically and regally, or if it was a genetic inheritance of sorts. Sola Naberrie regarded him with defiant eyes and a raised chin as she held a red faced toddler. Darth Vader closed his eyes and refused to think of that exact same look on his wife's face. He heard a whimpering sound and opened his eyes, about to yell at the woman to shut the baby up. However, he soon realized that the toddler was not the one making the sound - rather it was the middle child. He noticed with some disgust that she had wet herself in her fright, as she whimpered involuntarily - wide eyes staring at him with undisguised terror.

Darth Vader's blood boiled again and he turned to the Commander: "Have your men actually found anything?" he demanded irritably.

"No, sir. We were just finishing up," the Commander replied. Vader could admire the man's stoicism, even though he could feel the waves of fear coming off of him in the Force. He couldn't blame the Commander for following Palpatine's direct orders. His fury mounted further, and he knew that he could not take his anger out on anyone in the house, or else he would face punishment from his Master. _Additional punishment_ , he amended himself. Having to stand by helplessly as his wife's family was victimized yet again was the first part.

Eventually the men stopped the search and they all filed out of the house. No apology was offered, no one straightened anything. It seemed that a few of them were deliberately stepping on already broken things, making sure that they became irreparably so. The Commander approached Darred Naberrie. "Sign here, please. You have been cleared by the Empire of any traitorous material," he said neutrally and held out the datapad and a stylus to Darred. He signed off numbly and watched as the Commander exited, flanked by two stormtroopers. He jumped when he heard the wheezing sound of Darth Vader's respirator right next to him.

"I apologize to you," he said in a tight voice. "I know that you had nothing to do with the Queen's little _plot_. It seems that the Emperor was erring on the side of caution," he said awkwardly and then strode from their home without saying another word.

Everyone stood in stunned silence for a few minutes as they absorbed the destruction around them. Sola didn't care anymore. Once she saw that the entire contingent, including Lord Vader, were gone - she collapsed onto one of the only bare spots on the floor and sat down hard, sobbing. She hugged her son close and reflexively grabbed onto Ryoo when she settled next to her mother. Darred sighed and took Pooja's hand. She was still in shock, and she would need a change of clothes. Not for the last time, he cursed Padme Amidala and her neverending influence on his life.


	12. Chapter 12

Darth Vader knelt on the floor and answered the holo: "What is your bidding, my Master?" he asked the enormous holoprojection of Emperor Palpatine.

"What have you to report, Lord Vader?" the wrinkled old man asked without preamble.

"The Queen and seven traitorous Jedi were eliminated, as were all of the Palace staff that we determined were a part of her plot. Search parties are still continuing throughout Naboo, and several other conspirators were executed, including their families. No other suspicious individuals have turned up yet, but a few Force-sensitive children were discovered. One of them shows particular promise. Shall I arrange to bring it to you for use as a future Inquisitor?"

"No, Lord Vader," Palpatine replied in an irritated tone of voice. "Your job is to eliminate any and all Force-sensitives you come across. I _alone_ will choose who will or will not be accepted as part of the Inquisitorious or for _any_ other uses. Dispose of the child immediately. Am I understood?"

Darth Vader gritted his teeth, but replied nonetheless: "As you wish, my Master."

"Good. Make sure you do not overstep your boundaries again," the Emperor warned as Vader felt a few prickles of electricity through the Force. "Continue your clean-up operation and return to Coruscant within three days. Failure to finish the task in a timely manner will result in my severe displeasure."

"Yes, my Master," Vader replied emotionlessly and knelt for a few more seconds following the holoprojection's disappearance. He stood carefully, as the joints between his prosthetics and remaining flesh still gave him pains. He still had ghost pains and would fly into a rage when he would wake disoriented and realize that he had cybernetic limbs. For all that eliminating the Jedi earlier had made him feel marginally sated, his anger at the Emperor gave way to anger that neither Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda had been among those he had massacred. They had fought valiantly, but none had really been trained to be fighters - they were mostly Healers who had escaped the initial Purge due to not being in direct proximity to the clones in the field. Only one of them had had any real potential to be a fighter, but she had been nothing more than a mostly-trained padawan and too fully steeped in the Light to be allowed to survive.

He stomped on his way out of the Palace, his troops and any other service personnel moving quickly out of his way. He kept walking as he cursed his entire existence, not looking at where he was going. He was broken from his angry trance when he realized that he had arrived at Padme's mausoleum. Darth Vader cursed his own sentimentality and made to turn back, but froze in place. The Emperor was not here at the moment, and was already displeased with him for some unknown reason - visiting his wife's grave in private would inevitably get back to Sidious and anger him, but he knew he was awaiting punishment anyway.

He stepped in and steeled himself for the sight before him. She looked just as she had a year ago when he had last seen her, laying peacefully in her casket. He barely glanced at the smaller casket next to hers since he did not have the strength of will to go that far yet. He went to the other side of Padme's casket, where the view of the smaller one would be obstructed. Desperately, he reached with the Force towards his wife's cold body and was surprised at the amount of Darkness that he felt surrounding her. He stumbled back for a second and shook himself. He extended the Force again, more carefully this time. _There it was_ \- he had not noticed it during the Funeral - the Emperor's own dark aura had overshadowed everything else on top of his own shock at the time. He could feel an imprint of Sidious' Darkness over her body - he had _contaminated_ her somehow. His thoughts howled furiously through his head as he wondered what kind of person would do that to an already dead body, unless…

 _No, that does not bear thinking about_ , he told himself as he staggered backward and leaned against the wall for support. He reached for the dead child through the Force, but didn't feel the same aura around the baby. _No, it wouldn't have been necessary. Kill the mother, and the child would go with it,_ he thought to himself angrily. He tried to stop the sobs from coming, but the only thing he succeeded in doing was choking himself, since the respirator would not change its rhythm to match his. His thoughts spiraled further out of control, until he heard a crack. He went for his lightsaber, instantly on alert, only to look down and see that his anger had created the crack in the glass of his wife's casket. Horrified, he dropped to his knees and put his hands over the glass. "I am _so_ sorry, my Angel," he told his dead wife. "I am still hurting you, even after you have gone."

He petted the glass longingly and delicately a few times before he stood up laboriously. His angry thoughts would do him no good - of course Palpatine had killed her. He had had no intention of letting her live - she would never have agreed with the idea of an Empire - he had just been too blind to see it. Darth Vader had no doubt that he had done her and their child tremendous damage with his Force choke, but he had _not_ been the one to actually end her life. He would never be able to prove it, but now he knew without a doubt that he had thrown his entire life away for nothing, and _nothing_ could ever atone for it. He left the mausoleum in peace and vowed his vengeance on Palpatine.

Sola Naberrie sighed as she threw the last piece of wreckage in the kitchen in the garbage. The Imperial rampage had been thorough - even the children's belongings had been ransacked, and she and Darred would be buying a new crib for Luke and a chest of drawers for the girls. Two doors needed to be replaced, one fresher countertop, and their dining set would need replacing, since only two chairs had survived. The girls' beds were able to be put back together again, thankfully, but their clothes were put in piles on the floor for the time being. Luke was sleeping with her and Darred, which she hoped would not turn into a habit. She had learned that the hard way with Ryoo.

Laughter caught her attention and she stood up to look out into the living area where Pooja was attempting to teach Luke a clapping game. That was the first laughter she had heard in the last two days since the Imperial wrecking machine came through their home. _Of course it had to be Pooja,_ she smiled to herself as she gave the kitchen one last look-over before she took the garbage bag outside to join the others. She grimaced at the pile of refuse that had resulted, but there was nothing that could be done anymore about it. A few neighbors had stared through their windows, but most of them had gone back to their business. The streets were still eerily quiet, since people were only allowed to leave their homes for absolute necessities, like food or medicine. The only sounds of activity that were heard regularly were the stormtrooper patrols that paraded up and down the streets. While their neighborhood had been "cleared of subversive activity", the stormtroopers remained to ensure curfew compliance. Permission to leave one's home depended on the stormtroopers' benevolence.

She went back into the house and was greeted by the sound of both Pooja and Luke giggling. She stopped for a minute and grabbed the holorecorder, which thankfully had not been damaged. She took it out and discreetly filmed Pooja hovering over Luke as she teased him with her hands before they descended on him and tickled his ribs. Luke squealed with delight and his giggles were punctuated by little snorts. The snorts were what was making Pooja laugh. Sola smiled as she filmed, then frowned and turned the device off. She heard a speeder approaching and stiffened - she hoped that there would not be another Imperial "search" of their home after she had just finished cleaning up from the last one. A knock at the door sounded and she jumped. The laughter abruptly stopped. No one was demanding entry, but she knew better than to keep whoever it was waiting.

Sola was surprised to see none other than Darth Vader himself at her front door. "Lord Vader, what can I do for you?" she asked after she recovered from her initial shock.

"I would like to ask you a few questions, if I may?" Vader asked politely. Sola nodded and let him in wordlessly. She chanced a look at Pooja, who was staring with wide eyes, still terrified from the recent ordeal. Luke looked on the verge of tears, and he stood up and waddled to Sola, saying "Mama" plaintively. She scooped him up automatically and put her hand on Pooja's shoulder in a show of reassurance. She could feel her daughter trembling under her hand.

"You may relax, young one," Vader said as softly as his modulator would allow. "No one here is in any danger from me. I merely mean to ask some questions regarding Senator Amidala's death, or what you know of it."

Sola winced imperceptibly, but Vader caught it anyway. If he hadn't had the Force, he probably would have missed it - she was as fierce as her sister. Sola leaned down and whispered to her still-staring daughter: "Why don't you go upstairs and help Ryoo and Daddy put things back in their place in your room? I'll watch the baby," she said soothingly. Pooja nodded once and finally tore her eyes off of Darth Vader as she slowly left the room. Once she was out of eyesight, her furiously fast footsteps were heard as she dashed up the stairs. "What do you wish to know?" Sola asked courteously once she was sure that Pooja was out of earshot.

"What were you told regarding her death?" he asked bluntly.

Sola blinked and looked at him questioningly. "Do you mean how she died? When she died?" She cringed internally at the stupidity of her questions.

"What were you told about how she died?" Vader replied, torn between yelling at the woman for being dense, but feeling guilt about having brought pain onto her and her family.

"Senator Organa told us that Padme died after childbirth of a broken heart," she said robotically.

Vader started - that was _not_ what Sidious had told him, and it was most definitely _not_ what had been on the autopsy report that Sidious had given him. He got himself back under control after a second too long: "And you don't believe this to be the case?" he asked. He could feel her derision in the Force.

Sola looked taken aback for a moment and froze. Vader sighed internally - this entire situation was not her fault. "I will not hold any answer you give me against you. I am merely looking for answers," he told her as soothingly as he could.

Sola eyed him warily for a few beats and adjusted the child on her hip. The movement alerted him to the fact that he was even there at all - he had totally forgotten about the baby, even though he had been right in front of him. The child was completely silent and was studying him, but without the overt fear from just a few moments earlier. "I don't believe that Padme would just have given up like that," Sola replied finally, which broke Vader from his staring contest with the toddler. He tilted his head questioningly at her, and she continued, haltingly: "Senator Organa was told by the medical personnel that she had been perfectly healthy, but seemed to have lost the will to live. It was the medical personnel's opinion that she had died of a broken heart," she finished with a hard swallow.

Darth Vader digested the information he had just been given. There was no doubt now that Sidious had lied to him, and almost no chance that he hadn't been the one to kill his wife. He had no idea how the old man had done it, but he _knew_ in his gut that Sidious had killed his wife. He had never intended for her to live. He thought back to the mausoleum and how he had not felt the same darkness around his baby girl. He was more than certain that he himself had been responsible for _that_. He hadn't checked for his own Force signature around the child, since it was almost as impossible to detect one's own Force signature as it was one own's scent. He accepted responsibility for the baby's death, but he had _not_ killed his wife - and Sidious had gone to great lengths to make sure that he thought so.

"Lord Vader, are you alright?" Sola's question broke him from his musings. He looked at the woman and saw twin looks of concern from her and the little boy - one set of blue eyes, one set of dark brown.

"I apologize for my indiscretion," he said rather awkwardly. "That does not seem a very plausible explanation to me either, given what I know about the Senator," he offered and hoped that she could not feel the quaver in his voice. His eyes settled on the child once more. "What is his name again?" he asked.

"Luke," she supplied as she shifted the child to her other hip. The child rested his head on her shoulder, under her chin and continued to stare at him unapologetically.

"Interesting," he mused aloud. "Where did you come up with that name?" he asked, as he remembered that that had been the name that Padme had wanted to use had they had a son.

"Padme and I had a pact, when we were younger," Sola started then cleared her throat and sniffled, "that whoever had a son first would get to use that name. It was a favorite of ours since we had been children ourselves."

Vader nodded, feeling the truth of her explanation in the Force. He had never known that. There were so many things he hadn't known about his wife, and now never would. Or at least not from her. "Did this name have any particular meaning?" he asked, craving something about his wife's thought process at least - something to anchor him back to her.

"It means 'bringer of Light' in Ancient Nabooian," she answered, her eyes shiny with tears. "And he has been, thankfully," she said as she looked down at the little boy, who looked back up at his mother and offered her a toothy grin - if one could even call it that when there were only four teeth involved.

"I see," he replied rather lamely. The irony was not lost on him. "I thank you for your time. Your answers have been most...illuminating," he said as he made for the door. "I shall not bother you with anymore questions. Thank you for your time," he said as he closed the door behind him.

He mulled Sola Naberrie's answers over and over in his head on the ride back to the Palace. He was sure that his Master had never intended for him to find out about his treachery, but it was too late for that. He needed to speak to Bail Organa when he got back to Coruscant, but he would need to be circumspect about it. There was no need to get the Emperor's suspicions up, especially since he was nowhere ready to challenge the old man yet. Part of him wished he could die already, but a larger part of him wanted to live to avenge his wife. As he neared the Palace, he caught sight of a statue of Qui-Gon Jinn, erected after his death by Sith. He howled in anger and watched as the statue exploded into shards. He cursed the man who had introduced him to the Force and to Padme to begin with. As miserable as his life as a slave had been, he was many times more miserable now. Too bad the Jedi Master was dead already, he would have gladly killed him himself otherwise. For now, Palpatine would do as a target for his ever increasing rage.

On Dagobah, Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi felt a disturbance in the Force. "Realized the Emperor's treachery, Vader has," Yoda said sagely.

"What does this mean for us?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, still discomfited by what his former apprentice had become.

"Know not yet, do I," Yoda said as he closed his eyes and felt through the Force. "The Future, many pathways it can take now. None are certain yet."

"Will you not come join us? This could be our chance, we can take advantage of the discord between the Sith!" Obi-Wan all but begged.

"Patience, Obi-Wan," Yoda admonished as he poked him with his gimer stick. "Not ready yet is Vader. Not ready is the Galaxy for our return."

Obi-Wan sighed. "As you wish."

"Stay here I must - draw attention to ourselves we _must_ _not_. On us, the future depends," Yoda warned. The Force was telling him to remain on Dagobah for the time being. "Sooner than you know, it will be here."


	13. Chapter 13

Darth Vader approached the Emperor's Throne Room with trepidation. He knew that the Emperor had been displeased with him for some unknown reason the last time they had spoken, but he still didn't know what he could have been angry about. There was also the new revelation of his _Master's_ involvement in Padme's death, and he wondered just how much further his Master had been responsible for the visions he had been getting prior to her death. He made an effort to redouble his shields as he stood in front of the Throne Room and the Red Guards parted for him. The doors opened and he walked in and knelt at the base of the steps to the throne itself.

"Rise, Lord Vader," Palpatine said with remarkable coolness in his voice. Vader wondered at how ever since he had joined the man, the kind voice he had used before had disappeared. He tamped down on his anger and acquiesced, rising slowly and as respectfully as he always had. The last thing he wanted was for the old Sith to be suspicious of him when he was already angry with him.

"What is this I hear of you destroying Qui-Gon Jinn's statue in Naboo?" the Emperor asked almost casually, although Vader knew that that was not the reason for his anger. He would be toyed with first before the reason reason appeared - such was the nature of his dealings with his new Master.

"I did not find it appropriate for there to be a monument to _any_ Jedi, given their treachery and the nature of the campaign at the moment, my Master," Vader answered carefully.

"While I agree with the sentiment, and consider its removal an oversight at the time of Amidala's funeral, I would hope that you would consult with _me_ before engaging in such a course of action in the future," Palpatine said as his eyes bored into Vader. Vader swallowed down his anger and merely bowed his head in submission, not trusting himself to start an argument, given that he was sure that Palpatine knew that the reason he had just given was not true.

Palpatine regarded him with barely concealed anger and allowed an uncomfortable silence to linger. Vader fought the urge to squirm. "Do you remember your last pacification mission prior to going to Naboo?" the Emperor asked him as if he were a mere child.

"Yes, my Master, it was successfully squashed as per your request," Vader answered, both angered and confused. A blast of Sith Lightning hit him out of nowhere and his knees buckled for a moment. He righted himself and waited silently as the Sith Master eyed him with open anger.

"Did you not bother to check the identities of _all_ of the demonstrators?" Palpatine asked rhetorically. Vader said nothing, for he had not done any such thing - he had merely gone into the new Imperial Academy and stopped the traitorous insurrection and removed the leaders per his Master's orders. "One of those demonstrators was Admiral Mulleen's _son_. He was to be removed and remanded to custody - _not_ eliminated." Another volley of lightning brought him down to his knees for good, wheezing and gasping, the respirator fighting his tortured breathing, making him choke further. Mercifully, the lightning stopped, and he dimly registered smoke rising from the remaining flesh on his limbs. "Need I remind you, that the Empire is still at the consolidation stage, and any and all unnecessary deaths among the Imperial hierarchy are _unacceptable_ ," Palpatine lectured as he circled his suffering apprentice. "You will meditate on your actions and learn _control_. A Sith derives power from his emotions and passion, but he does not let them _control_ him," he said through gritted yellow teeth. "You are to remain on Imperial Center and report to the Senate Chambers tomorrow for observation. Now get out of my sight and ponder on your possible future actions should a similar occasion arise."

Recognizing the dismissal, Darth Vader arduously rose to a standing position. He nearly tipped over and was glad that his Master's back was to him at the moment, even if he knew that the old wizard could sense it through the Force. He stabilized and removed himself from the Throne Room as quickly as his shaking and aching body would allow him to.

Palpatine watched his apprentice leave with narrowed eyes and disappointment in his gut. Yes, the boy had incredible power, and he had succeeded in turning him. The problem was now that Vader had absolutely no control over his emotions - an issue which he had exploited to his benefit, until now. Things were getting out of hand, and he needed to rein Vader in. The irony was not lost on him - he had cultivated the result he was now living with, there had been no other way to get the boy on his side otherwise. The problem was that the aftermath of his turning had had more negative effects than he had anticipated. He knew perfectly well why his apprentice had smashed Qui-Gon Jinn's statue - he had felt the spike of anger through the Force the moment it had happened. His bond with his apprentice allowed him to know _exactly_ what was going through Vader's mind the moment it had happened.

Palpatine sighed and looked out over Imperial Center from his spacious windows towards the Jedi Temple. Soon, it would become his new Palace, and Vader would have to deal with having to enter _that_ structure and all it entailed on a regular basis. He would not allow wanton destruction in his new Palace due to his apprentice's childish whims. Things needed to change - immediately. He would perhaps need to give the Naberrie family a rest from his games, unfortunately. He had intended to needle Vader, to keep him angry and in the Dark, but it seemed that it had backfired if his apprentice's barely concealed rage just now was any indication. He sighed again - there would _definitely_ need to be some changes.

"No!" came the response yet again as Sola tried to take the datapad from Luke's hands.

"Please give it back, baby. Pooja needs it for school tomorrow," Sola pled as she gripped harder and managed to pry it from the toddler's surprisingly strong hands.

"No!" he howled again and went to take it back, but Sola was quicker, and she handed it over to her younger daughter, who was trying not to laugh at her brother's indignation.

"Oh, poor thing," Jobal Naberrie said as she scooped up her only grandson. "Don't you worry - you'll wish you never had to deal with the things once you get older and have to go to school," she cooed as he snuggled into her. Sola sighed - she was used to being the bad guy.

It was just as well, her mother could keep the children occupied as she went about cleaning up the mess the Imperials had left at her parents' home as well. She took a look outside and saw that the sun was starting to get lower. The daytime curfew had been lifted - people could go about their business during the day - but the nighttime curfew was still in effect. Once Darth Vader and the majority of the stormtroopers had left, the rules had relaxed some and she had been able to visit her parents again. Her father had had to return to work, so she had brought her two youngest with her to help her mother get the house back on track. The grandchildren also brought her poor mother a welcome distraction. Her health had taken a hit after Padme and the baby's deaths and hadn't quite recovered since. This latest incident was just another wound that her fragile mother did not need at the moment.

Sola continued to clean up until she saw the sun lower enough that she knew they would be cutting their return home rather closely. The stormtroopers that were left patrolled her street in particular more than others. Neighbors that normally were on speaking terms with them were barely cordial and kept to themselves, effectively isolating the Naberries in their own home. They had always valued privacy, but the thought of her neighbors avoiding her out of fear versus respect hurt Sola more than she wanted to admit. Darred was an architect, and his business depended on not just his work, but on having a good reputation. She was nervous about the financial ramifications of the Empire's actions on her family.

While Padme had become very wealthy, mostly due to her service as Queen of Naboo, the Naberries themselves were not inordinately so. They were comfortable, but not _wealthy_. The other thing that had irked Sola was the Empire's confiscation of all of Padme's funds - her will had disappeared and been declared null and void by the Empire. It wasn't that the Naberries wanted Padme's money, but they hated how the Empire had made it seem as if she had been a traitor, or a disgrace to Naboo itself. Thankfully, the general public did not agree with the Empire's stain on her sister's reputation. She wondered just how the public was taking Apailana's death. Her successor had not yet been chosen, but she was under no illusion that there would be any elections. Sola knew that had Padme not already died, the thought of the _Emperor_ appointing someone to the position of Queen would have done it.

Sola tried not to think of her baby daughter. She also tried not to think about the crack in the glass of her sister's coffin. She had gone to pay her respects to both her sister and lost daughter once the curfew had lifted and found the vandalism. Thankfully she had gone with only Luke, and he had been sleeping in the stroller so he missed her sobbing breakdown. She still remembered how both of them looked to be frozen in time, while the entire Galaxy kept on moving forward. Although she didn't know if it was backward, rather than forward. Sola ushered her children towards the front door and gave her mother a warm hug goodnight. She didn't know whether to be glad or not that Padme was not alive to see what was happening to the Galaxy or Naboo. She only hoped that her mother wouldn't succumb to the sadness as well and made a mental note to be as strong as possible for her own children.


	14. Chapter 14

Darth Vader surveyed the Senate proceedings with barely concealed contempt. He had always thought them a bunch of useless wastes of space, but having to see them in action, or rather _inaction_ , only increased his hatred of these pampered, out of touch egomaniacs who seemed to only love money and the sound of their own voices. He discreetly watched Senator Organa as he calmly yet passionately argued in favor of resettlement of refugees and for a softer touch with protesters, especially those on Imperial Center itself. Vader tried not to think of Padme and how she had similarly made such arguments to no avail. He had to respect Organa's tenacity, if nothing else. After what seemed like an eternity, the session ended for the day, and he removed himself to the hallways in the hope of cornering Organa without arousing suspicion.

He found himself wandering and picking up Senators' thoughts, as some of them projected loudly. He was disgusted with the pecadillos some of them harbored and toyed with sending someone after them to expose them, but knew that he should not do any such thing without alerting his Master beforehand. He knew that Palpatine had to be aware of their misdeeds, and was probably using such information as leverage. If he wasn't currently, then he _would be_ later. He pondered the uselessness of the Senate, and why Palpatine hadn't disbanded it - after all, what was the point of being Emperor if one didn't have complete control? He knew that it was all about appearances, but he loathed the idea of these parasites drawing obscene compensation when they were nothing but superfluous. He sighed as he realized that he had found himself close to Organa's office.

Darth Vader strode in and went past the gaping receptionist, who did nothing to impede his progress. He moved into the office and felt Organa's spike of surprise in the Force at his appearance. The mousy individual who he was speaking with, curiously, barely acknowledged Darth Vader and merely continued on with his little speech, finally handing over a datapad to Organa and leaving. He merely dipped his head in acknowledgement to the Sith as he walked out of the office. To say that Darth Vader was surprised by the mousy man's indifference to him would be an understatement. The door to the office swished quietly closed after the mousy man's departure, and Vader was hard-pressed to remember anything specific about that individual before.

"What can I do for you, Lord Vader?" Organa asked politely. Vader could see past the man's stoic exterior, and could feel his apprehension through the Force. Vader was mostly sure that Organa knew who he was and _exactly_ what had occurred between himself and Padme, but he felt that there were other things that the man was hiding. Most importantly, his account of Padme's death had differed dramatically from the official autopsy report the Emperor had given him. Or at least what Organa had told Sola Naberrie had differed, and he needed to know if Organa had merely fed them a story to make them feel better, or if that truly had been what had happened. He already knew of his Master's role in her death, as well as his own - but the truth was murkier than he had originally anticipated.

"And just who was that that you could not dismiss immediately upon my arrival?" he surprised himself by asking. He cringed internally at his childishness, but he was irritated with Organa, his Master, himself, and at the cheeky little man whose features were already eluding his memory.

"Imperial Intelligence, come to deliver an update on certain highly sensitive and developing situations," Organa answered stoically, yet confused.

"I see," Vader replied awkwardly and kicked himself for not having thought of it. He had been expecting someone in uniform, not the nondescript individual who had just exited. "And just why would you of all people need to be informed of such things? As far as I am aware, you are a Senator, not a high-ranking member of the Imperial hierarchy."

"No, but I am a member of the Security Committee, and have been for some years due to seniority," was the placid yet amused reply. Vader was glad for his mask, since his shame at his own ignorance could be hidden. He should have known this information already, especially given the man's closeness to his late wife. Had he truly been living such a self-centered existence?

"I am surprised that a pacifist such as yourself would allow themselves to be on such a Committee as a matter of principle," he found himself blurting. He couldn't stop himself and didn't know why he was letting this mere Senator intimidate him without even trying.

"I may be a pacifist, but I am not naive, Lord Vader," Organa replied with a touch of irritation. "Knowing how best to proceed in sensitive situations is the only way to be able to keep one's own beliefs intact. Staying ignorant but true to one's beliefs will not help my cause or anyone else, for that matter. Besides, intelligence and security are at the heart of any government, regardless of its composition or ideology. Those who do not accept that reality and cling to ideology at all costs find themselves very short-lived."

Vader nodded - the answer was bland yet also perfectly true. The unspoken sentiment being that even Alderaan had its own security and intelligence apparatus and had been criticized for doing so hung in the air. Vader had to respect the man - he was no fool, and he most likely possessed dangerous knowledge about himself, and Palpatine as well. The naivete of the Sith in front of him was not in doubt - and both parties knew it. "I believe that while you and I seem to have diametrically opposed belief systems, at the very least we seem to have some level of pragmatism in common. A good sign," he offered by way of apology for his ignorance. Whether Organa realized that he was just trying to play it off or not, the man merely nodded in acquiescence and looked at him expectantly, if not with a healthy dose of fear behind that blank mask of a face.

"I am most curious about the details surrounding Senator Amidala's death," Vader began bluntly, and was satisfied to see Organa pale slightly.

"And what is it you wish to know, Lord Vader?" Organa asked as he tried to keep his cool. He had anticipated that Vader would have approached him at some point, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon, or that he would have been this open about what he wanted.

"It seems that the official autopsy report and what you told the Naberrie family do not comport," Vader replied stiffly. Organa closed his eyes briefly in sorrow and nodded his head.

"I assume you spoke to them recently while on Naboo," Organa stated sadly. No doubt he had been aware of the Imperial incursion into the Naberrie home, even if such a thing had not been made public. Vader wondered if he had spoken to them at all, but he doubted it.

"I did, and it seems most curious to me that your version of events does not match the official one. Care to elaborate? How did you even come to be involved in the first place?"

Bail Organa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had always known that it was a risk that he would be asked his story, and he hoped that he could keep his mental shields up, as Obi-Wan had taught him to do. He also hoped that the Sith would not ask more than he could give or just try to rip it from his mind, which was always a possibility. He had to hope that the man in front of him still possessed some humanity which would allow him to accept his story and not kill him for his part in any of it. Bail Organa recounted the story that he had given Palpatine prior to the funeral and tried to ignore the horrific mask in front of him. Ironically, he focused on the sound of Vader's breathing. Most people found the respirator to be the most terrifying thing about Darth Vader, but it just reminded Bail that this was just a man in front of him - a man with significant weaknesses, regardless of how powerful he appeared.

Darth Vader stood with his hands on the back of the chair facing Organa's desk. As the story progressed he found himself gripping the chair tighter and tighter, to the point where he could hear material cracking beneath his hands, but he didn't care - _couldn't_ care. The Force rang with the truth of what Organa was telling him, but there was more that he was not revealing. There was also real fear there - fear of him finding out some unpleasant truths or fear of being found out for knowing who Darth Vader really was?

"You know who I am, Senator," Vader stated, tired of dancing around the issue. "Or rather, you know who I _was_ ," he finished pointedly.

"Sadly, yes," Organa ventured, swallowing hard. His fear had spiked in the Force as well, and Vader knew that the man was wondering if these were to be his last moments.

"Have no fear, Senator," Vader sighed. "I am not interested in punishing you for trying to do right by my wife. I am merely seeking the truth of what occurred, although no doubt you feel that I am the one mostly responsible for her demise, if what I sense from you is correct."

"If she truly did die of a broken heart, as the droids thought, then yes, I would have to say that you could be said to be the cause of that," Organa said sadly, his eyes not meeting Vader's mask, but rather far away and glassy with unshed tears. Vader wanted to throttle the man momentarily for daring to have any feelings for his wife, but he realized that it would be futile. He was not the only one who grieved her - her family on Naboo did as well. Palpatine would also then be aware of Vader's suspicions, which would _not_ do.

"But you don't actually believe that, _do_ you?" Vader asked dangerously.

"I don't know what I believe," Organa replied as he shook his head sadly. "The medical droids couldn't figure out what was happening - they said that she was physically healthy, but they were losing her. But-" he cut off and shook his head again, as if to clear it.

"But?" Vader goaded. The man in front of him gave him a miserable look and his fear increased again. _Now we're getting closer to the issue_ , Vader thought.

"For someone who was supposedly losing the will to live, it seemed like she was fighting with all her might to stay alive," Bail Organa said with that faraway look again. He hated reliving that moment, the shock of what was happening in front of him, and being powerless to stop it.

Vader nodded imperceptibly and tried to withdraw from the Force somewhat, the misery emanating from the man in front of him was so strong. He couldn't blame Organa for his confusion - he had no knowledge of the Force, so he could not have known what was happening at that moment. Vader himself had not suspected anything until very recently. No, the sad truth was that Padme's Senator friend had done better by her than her own husband. "I thank you for the truth, Senator," Vader said honestly and made to leave the office. He had all the confirmation that he needed.

"Her last words were about you, you know," Bail Organa ventured, and Vader could practically hear the man's heart racing from where he was, already halfway across the office.

Vader barely turned and acknowledged the pale man still seated at his desk and noticed the shaking hands. He said nothing and let the man gather up his courage to speak.

"She said there was still good in you, that she believed there was still good in you," Bail Organa said so softly, he almost missed it.

Vader stood there dumbly for a few moments, and then strode out of the office without another word. His Angel had believed in him even at her moment of death, and he wondered if she knew what was happening to her. His mind raged at the depth of his Master's betrayal and he knew that she would never have lived so long as Palpatine was alive. He should have let Mace Windu kill him, for Palpatine would have been the cause of her death no matter what. He had used his wife when she was fourteen to propel himself to power, and then again over a decade later to lure his apprentice. She had been nothing but a tool for Palpatine, just like he himself was, and the knowledge ate at his soul and mind. He would need to learn control now, regardless of the cost. He could _not_ let Palpatine get away with what he had done.


	15. Chapter 15

Obi-Wan Kenobi watched what had originally meant to be his charge play in the lake water with his eldest sister. It had been a few months since Queen Apailana was deposed and her replacement announced, and the weather was warm, even in Varykino, where the winds off the lake cooled things off. Obi-Wan and Sabe had snuck back into Naboo once most of the Imperial presence was gone to see if any Force-sensitives might have survived and to probe the new Queen's loyalties. While Palpatine had appointed her himself, the Naboo in general were outraged over Palpatine overriding their democratic process for picking queens. Queen Kylantha was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but Sabe had insisted on returning to test the waters.

The Gungan population had rebuffed their requests for any aid in resisting the Empire, and Obi-Wan couldn't blame them. The Empire was in full anti-alien mode, and the Gungans had paid a heavy price to sate the Empire's burning bigotry. Jar Jar Binks and several of his supporters had been publicly executed and accused of fomenting unrest and harboring Jedi. None of it was remotely true, but even Palpatine couldn't just harass or exterminate non-humans without just cause. While the Empire officially saw non-humans as lesser beings, the general public was not comfortable with the wholesale slaughter of non-human populations unless there was a good reason for it. In the Gungans' case, one had to be fabricated. No doubt, the real reason was for their continuing love and support for Padme Amidala, but Padme had remained a popular figure on Naboo despite Palpatine's attempts to tarnish it. Since he could not destroy Padme's legacy openly, lest he lose support himself on his own home planet, he went about chipping away at it by going after her supporters and those most affiliated with her.

While Sabe went to meet with the Queen clandestinely, Obi-Wan set out to observe little Luke and how he was faring. The boy in question was shrieking with happiness in the water, and he wondered if love of water was genetic, instinctual, or learned. He shook off any thoughts of Anakin - that man no longer existed. Obi-Wan marveled at the patience Ryoo Naberrie showed her little brother. He squealed "Again! Again!" and she dutifully dunked him in the water and brought him back up out of it, sputtering and giggling. Obi-Wan didn't know what the girls had been told regarding the relation to their new little brother, but it was clear that he was loved nonetheless. He found himself thanking Owen Lars for refusing to take Luke in, as he was sure that Luke would not have been as happy living on Tattooine with a man who would probably never have treated him properly. Owen's understandable fear of Anakin would have made it impossible for his son fairly, no matter how hard he tried.

"Ryoo! Take your brother out of the water and let's go dry off. It's getting late and it will get too cold for both of you if you stay in there any longer," Darred Naberrie called out as he walked towards the children, holding two towels. Obi-Wan smiled to himself as he felt Ryoo's embarrassment reach him through the Force over having forgotten to bring towels with her.

"Daddy! Daddy! Hi! I swim!" Luke screamed happily as his father scooped him up and wrapped the towel around him. _Obviously they are raising the child as their own_ , Obi-Wan thought to himself. He hadn't had the heart to ask Bail what the family had decided when leaving the child behind. He had figured that they would treat the boy as theirs in public, but obviously that applied in private as well.

"I told you it was getting cold," Darred said with fond exasperation as he draped the other towel over his daughter's shivering figure. She wrapped the towel tightly around herself and burrowed her nose into it to stop her teeth from chattering. Ryoo moved her forehead against the towel to get the hair stuck on her forehead out of the way.

"Daddy! Daddy! Kiss!" Luke demanded. Darred complied by giving him a big wet kiss on his cheek. Luke's face scrunched up from the force of it and he giggled, showing off several teeth, including a few sharp-looking ones that had probably sprouted very recently. "Again! Again!" he squealed delightedly. Darred complied with a smile and used his free hand to rub his daughter's back vigorously.

"Better?" he asked her and she nodded her head gratefully. "Let's go back to the house then. Get your clothes and shoes, please," he said as he pointed to the haphazard pile laying on the shore. Obi-Wan had watched the wind undo the neat folded piles Ryoo had laid out and blow them about into a nest while she and Luke played in the water. Ryoo dutifully picked up the items into a wad, since her handiwork had been ruined anyway, and set off after her father. Obi-Wan relaxed with a sigh once they were out of sight. _Well, at least_ _ **one**_ _thing is going right on Naboo_ , he thought to himself.

He sat back against the tree he had been hiding behind and compared Luke to his sister. He hadn't seen Luke since he had left him here as a newborn. He had seen Leia a few times, given that he met with Bail or his people clandestinely on Alderaan on occasion. Until a full-blown rebellion could be financed and set on its feet, he needed to go to Alderaan. Bail going off-world too often would draw suspicion. Leia was a fiery little thing, very independent and vocal about everything. She had given people the most unimpressed looks that he had ever seen, rivaling any that he himself had given many a people. And Obi-Wan Kenobi's unimpressed looks were _legendary_. He knew it was a vain thought, but it was one of the few things about himself that he could look at in any kind of positive light since the Jedi Purge.

Leia was doted on by her new parents, who loved their new baby girl to the ends of the universe and back. He had known that they had been struggling to have children, and he hadn't been surprised when Bail had immediately offered to take both twins. While he had been denied that opportunity, he took the one child he had been allowed and lavished her with anything that she could ever want for. Obi-Wan still admired Bail Organa, especially as a Senator, but he still felt somewhat uneasy with how quickly he had picked Leia over her brother once he knew he couldn't have both. He only hoped that Leia would not be spoiled too rotten and that she would choose to follow either the Jedi Path, or Bail's. Obi-Wan had no doubt that Bail would do anything he could to keep her from being a Jedi in the false hope that that would keep her safe from Vader or Palpatine. Obi-Wan knew that Leia was actually in the more precarious position - should either Sith become suspicious and discover who she actually was, nothing would save her then. She was in too high profile of a family to escape their notice indefinitely, especially if Bail wanted her to go into politics.

Sabe had figured out who the twins were and what had been done, there was too much of both Anakin and Padme in both of them, and she had suspected something from the start regarding the Naberries. She still had contacts in Naboo, one who had been at the hospital when Sola had given birth to her stillborn baby, and had been in charge of falsifying the records for Bail Organa. Sabe had accosted Obi-Wan not too long ago and demanded to know why they had been separated and what had happened. Obi-Wan had told her everything, except for Vader's true identity, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before she figured it out. Sabe had been disgusted at Yoda blocking them from the Force, but she understood the need to do so.

"Why did they have to be split up then? If the problem was them being found due to their Force-sensitivity, then hasn't that been taken care of by blocking it? Why take them away from each other after they already lost their _mother_?" Sabe demanded angrily.

"It's not just about the Force-sensitivity," Obi-Wan said as patiently as he could manage. "It's the fact that they are Padme and Anakin's children. If Palpatine discovered either of them, he would eliminate them, regardless of whether they had the Force or not. And if he discovered the Force block and removed it on either of them, then they would be even _more_ dead."

Sabe scowled and paced some more, not satisfied with the answer. "What I want to know, and you need to answer _honestly_ ," she said as she stopped in front of him with her hands planted on her hips, "is if you hid them to save their lives for their sakes, or if you and Yoda have some sort of hope that they can be used in some long-term plan."

Obi-Wan started, he felt the venom in her voice, and wondered why she of all people would be upset over long-term strategy, something she was intimately familiar with. "They are strong in the Force. Once the block is removed and they are trained-" but he didn't go any further as a slap to his face ended his explanation. He touched his cheek in shock and laid wide eyes on a fuming Sabe.

"That is a _horrifically_ bad idea," Sabe seethed. "Those are _babies_ , and you think you can just turn them into warriors and have them go after the man that wiped out most of the Jedi? Are they even going to have a _say_ in any of this or will you just walk up to their families one day and announce that you are taking their children to make them into weapons to finish the fight _you_ lost?!"

Obi-Wan had stared without a response to her tirade, and he continued to stare as she buckled in on herself and crossed her legs, elbows on her knees and hands in her hair as she sobbed. He said nothing and allowed her to let it all out. He was glad he had not told her Vader's true identity, for if her current reaction was anything to go by, then knowing the children were already set on a path against their father without them knowing it would have truly unhinged her. When Sabe finally got a hold of herself, she gave him a withering look: "I will not allow it. And if you have any humanity left in you, you will not pursue this plan any further. Padme would not have wanted that for her children. I will keep their secret, but I cannot allow you to take them and make them into your tools without their consent. If you want them to join your cause and be Jedi, then you need to wait until they are old enough to understand and consent to what you want them to do," she said with a rock-hard voice. A long moment passed before anyone said anything. "I, for one, am hopeful that by that time it won't be necessary. I'd like to believe that we will be victorious before then," Sabe had told him loftily as she stood and left the room in a regal fashion.

Obi-Wan had gone to visit Yoda not long after his conflagration with Sabe, and that was when he had felt the disturbances in the Force. Yoda had known about the Jedi being eliminated - he had felt each and every death in the Force. Both he and Obi-Wan had felt Anakin's anger and how it had been directed at Palpatine. He was sure that Palpatine had felt it as well, but thought that he had his apprentice well in hand so there was no real fear from him. Obi-Wan sighed and tried to push unkind thoughts out of his head, which he was finding more difficult to do since discovering what Vader had done to Qui-Gon Jinn's statue.

He checked his chrono and realized that he needed to get back to meet Sabe. He felt drained and exhausted, but for all of the recent disappointments, at least he was ending his day on a high note. And being able to give Sabe good news about Padme's son would only make it better. He only hoped that Sabe had good news to report, and if not, at least he had his.


	16. Chapter 16

Emperor Palpatine was most displeased, but he was in public, attending a parade ostensibly in his honor, and on his home planet no less. However, he was still unhappy with the parade results at the Fifteenth anniversary of the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation. Queen Kylantha had made sure that all the details had been attended to painstakingly. There were humans dressed as Gungans, but no actual Gungans involved - the event was historically accurate while adhering to the Empire's policies of nonhuman segregation. There had been no Jedi represented _at all_ , which had pleased him, but left him feeling unsettled nonetheless. Since all of the other principals had been downplayed by necessity, the role that Amidala occupied was much larger than it should have been for his comfort. Rather than diminish Amidala's legacy, it now loomed over his own and threatened to overshadow his own achievements. He could not erase the Invasion of Naboo from either Naboo or Galactic history, so he had to endure the inevitable results of his _own_ policies.

Darth Vader stood stoically next to his Master and watched the proceedings with seeming disinterest, but Palpatine knew better. He had caught Vader looking at where Qui-Gon Jinn's statue had been to make sure that it had stayed demolished. Palpatine had said nothing, but made a mental note of it. While it was good that his apprentice still hated the Jedi with a passion, his seeming unending need for revenge, even against the dead, was worrisome. He knew that he was applying hypocritical standards towards himself, but he reasoned that _his_ actions in regards to all things Padme Amidala had more to do with keeping his apprentice in line, _not_ towards petty revenge. He sighed inwardly and watched as the seemingly endless procession continued on.

Darth Vader hated the Emperor with a passion unlike any he had ever felt before since realizing his role in his beloved wife's death. However, his being ordered to be present at the celebration of a long-dead past made him even angrier. He knew that the Emperor was toying with him, thought him too stupid to realize that he knew what he had done. He was trying to guilt Vader and keep him angry with constant reminders of what he had done to Padme. It was his way of asserting the fact that he was the Master, and Vader nothing more than his underling, like so many other cogs in the vast Imperial machinery. Vader made a heroic effort to conceal his feelings - he was _finally_ learning patience and control, but not for the reasons that Palpatine wanted.

Ryoo Naberrie came into view, dressed in Amidala's actual dress and make-up from fifteen long years ago - ridiculous headdress included. She was younger than Padme had been, but she was tall enough to fit into her deceased aunt's clothing. Vader felt a slight pang at her resemblance to Padme, but it was fleeting. Even with all the ceremonial make-up, it was clear that she was not Padme. Sabe, or even Dorme had resembled her much more closely than her own blood. He looked at the handmaidens around her, and spotted the two women in question immediately. He wondered if it was Yane or Rabe, or maybe none of the above, right next to Sabe. He cringed inwardly at how little he had known the women who had done a far better job of devoting themselves towards his own wife than he had. He felt a mental reprimand from his Master and tightened his shields again. He needed to control his emotions _much_ better in any situation where Palpatine was concerned.

As the procession finally came to a stop at the front of the Palace of Theed and Queen Kylantha recounted the Naboo's glorious history, Vader let his sight wander throughout the crowd. He spotted the Naberrie family, close to the steps, but not a part of the official proceedings. They occupied a place of honor, but had neither done or said anything in public, save let their eldest daughter participate in the parade. Shrewdly done and most vexing to Palpatine no doubt, Vader thought to himself, darkly amused. However more experienced the old Sith was, Vader had known him long enough to know when the man was displeased or uncomfortable, and he was _both_ at the moment. He kept that small amount of satisfaction well hidden, although if he was honest, there was no doubt that Palpatine already knew of it, whether he could feel it or not.

Vader's line of sight fell on a stoic Sola Naberrie and he was once again struck with the fire in her eyes. He wondered if Sola might not be the braver of the sisters. As much as he had idolized Padme and been possessive of her, he had not been brave enough to truly believe that she could take care of herself. He had always felt the need to be her protector. She herself had been too afraid of hurting his feelings to let him know when he was being a jackass until it was far too late on several occasions. Looking at Sola Naberrie, he knew that she had no problem doing any such thing. The proof was in how she had handled herself with Palpatine during Padme's funeral and in her letting her eldest child stand in front of Palpatine at the moment. She was afraid, of that he was sure - but not so afraid as to not let her daughter participate in some way in public. Sola was braver than both he and Padme _combined_ and a wave of shame passed over him as the thought struck him.

Pooja Naberrie was attempting to affect an air of aloofness, but she was far too captivated by the entire scene in front of her to pull it off completely. Vader noticed how eagerly she drank in every one of the Queen's words and wondered if Padme had been similarly struck as a child by whoever had been ruling Naboo at the time. Another thought struck him as he looked between the two sisters - neither really resembled the other, yet they were sisters nonetheless. He wondered which one Padme actually looked like the most, and if she had resembled either of them as a child. He realized with increasing shame that he had no idea what Padme had looked like as a child - he had never asked for or seen a holo of her as a child. He remembered her teenage self, but had no idea what she had looked like as a child - another failure of his, and not a trivial one at that. He scrutinized Pooja again, and noticed that every time that he saw the girl, her hair was slightly darker than the time before. Her tight curls still remained.

Vader looked to the small boy holding Sola's hand - he was trying valiantly not to be bored once the initial awe of the new sights had worn off. The boy had had snow white hair last time he had seen him, but it was now darkening as well and coming in curly, much like Pooja's had been. Although Pooja had been older than her younger sibling the first time Vader had met her. He was tempted to walk over to the Naberries and demand answers about Padme's early life, but knew that such a course of action would be imprudent and raise questions not just from them, but would certainly cause a reprisal from Palpatine. He had hurt that family enough - he would not add to their sorrows by interacting with them directly.

Vader rejoined the present world once the speech had concluded and the crowd began to applaud. The formal part of the celebration was now over, and people would begin going to the museums and the Palace itself, since it was open to the public on special occasions. Food vendors began selling their wares after an appropriately respectful amount of time had passed. The situation was almost normal in a surreal sort of way. Palpatine made his way with his guards towards his private speeder and Vader suppressed a smile at the man's irritation. He spied Bail Organa among the revelers and followed him as the Senator made his way towards the Naberrie family. They walked inside towards a more secluded area in the Palace as they waited for Ryoo to get out of costume and join the rest of the family. Vader tucked himself into an adjacent empty room and made sure to be as quiet as possible as he extended his hearing with the Force.

"Your daughter made quite an impression out there," Bail complemented Sola awkwardly. Sola merely dipped her head in a simple gesture. Everyone fidgeted uncomfortably for a few moments. "I must say that I felt the need to speak to you and see how you were holding up. I know that the last time we spoke was during a rather...difficult time…" Bail trailed off, lost for words.

Sola softened somewhat as she realized that she had been holding a grudge of sorts against the man for a situation that had been out of his control. "I apologize myself. It seems that my family, and I myself, had taken our anger out on you at the time," Sola said uncertainly but earnestly. "You were just the messenger, and I am glad that it was _you_ , and not someone else. I think it would have been more unbearable had it been a total stranger and not someone who Padme had known and trusted."

Bail let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in and offered her a smile. He looked down at Luke, curiosity getting the better of him. "And how are you, young man?" he asked as he bent down to get a closer look at his daughter's twin. Luke gave him a shy smile and tucked his head against his mother's hand, which he was holding at the moment. "You've gotten quite a lot bigger than the last time I saw you," he said amiably. He marveled at how different the boy looked than his sister, but how he didn't stand out from the rest of his family either. He briefly wondered if Leia would have blended in as well, but her features were more angular and not as soft as the Naberries'. His eyes shifted to Pooja Naberrie, and he felt a pang through his heart as he saw the resemblance between niece and aunt. While her hair was still a lot lighter than Padme's had been, he had no doubt that it would darken and she would resemble her more than any of the other family members. "And how are you, young lady?" he addressed her with a courtly bow.

"Very well, Senator, thank you," she replied with a curtsey she must have practiced. She was obviously quite pleased with how it had turned out. Bail's eyes shone with mirth and he heard Sola sigh.

"Our own little politician," she said with fond amusement, but it was laced with sadness and fear.

"I believe that this young lady will excel at anything she chooses to," he answered her, understanding where her fear was coming from.

"Thank you, Senator Organa," Sola said. "Pooja, please thank the Senator for his kind words," she nudged her daughter with her elbow slightly.

"Thank you, Senator Organa," she replied as regally as she could. "Mama, can we to go the fountain and see the fish?" she asked, obviously tired of the adult talk and waiting for her sister to return.

"To the fountain, and _nowhere_ else," Sola agreed. "Stay where I can see you. Your sister and father should be out shortly."

"Yes, ma'am," Pooja said with a smile, and Bail was charmed when he noticed that one of her molars was missing. "Let's go Lukey, before the fountain gets too full of people." Luke eagerly dropped his mother's hand and took his sister's with a wide grin. Bail and Sola watched as both children sprinted happily towards the fountain that was within Sola's line of sight.

"I truly meant it when I asked how you are doing," Bail said as he turned towards Sola. "I hope that you know that if you ever need anything, House Organa is more than willing to help in any way possible. You are Padme's family, and she held you very dearly. I couldn't save her life, but I hope that I can at least honor her in assisting you in any way necessary."

"I thank you for the offer Senator, but I don't know how wise that would be, given the Empire's displeasure with our family in general," Sola said bluntly, but not unkindly. "Things have been quieter lately, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Of course," Bail replied with a nod of his head. "I suppose I should be going, as I have a meeting with the Queen in a few minutes. But, please remember my offer, should you find that you need it," he said sincerely.

"Thank you very much," Sola replied with a rather husky voice and she squeezed his hand in both of hers. "Hopefully it will not come to that, but I appreciate it all the same." And she did. Having been ostracized and singled out by the Empire immediately following Padme's death had dealt her family several unnecessary blows. Darred's business was finally picking up and people were moving on from the Amidala scandal. They couldn't very well blame the Naberries for what their adult family member had done, especially since she had actually ruled over them as Queen. The Naboo public had decided to treat the Naberries with kindness, but the rest of the Galaxy had either ignored them or been hostile. Alderaan's overture of kindness was a balm to her soul. She smiled once more at the kind man as he left her and joined his security personnel and made his way towards his meeting with the Queen. Darred and Ryoo spotted her and she joined them on their way out of the Palace to meet the youngest members of their family at the fountain.

Darth Vader waited until the family had gathered themselves up and away from the Palace, having decided not to linger at the fountain. He exited the room quietly and watched the family walk together towards wherever their speeder was. Once they were out of sight, he sighed and made his way towards his own. Something about the exchange he had just witnessed made him uneasy. There were unspoken issues floating in the ether, but Vader couldn't tell what they were. It was something that neither party had felt comfortable speaking in public about. He shook his head of those thoughts - he was only being paranoid. The niggling feeling wouldn't leave him, but he knew that he needed to disregard it and make his way to his Star Destroyer. His Master would be contacting him soon for some reason or another. At least there was once certainty in his life, but hopefully that would be remedied soon.

Sabe and Dorme had watched the entire interaction from their dressing room, having experience with the Palace and all of its spying devices. Sabe had confided in Dorme her suspicions regarding Lord Vader's identity, and his current behavior certainly seemed to solidify what little evidence she had. The recording had picked up the audio, so they heard the entire conversation between Senator Organa and Sola Naberrie. Dorme had had her suspicions regarding Leia's true identity, but had been gobsmacked when Sabe had confided in her about the twin. Both of them wanted to confront Obi-Wan Kenobi with the truth - for they did not feel comfortable with either the official or unofficial accounts of Padme's death.

"Do you feel sort of strange watching a clandestine recording of someone eavesdropping on another conversation?" Dorme asked as she fought the discomfort from her recently acquired knowledge.

"Angry, yes. Strange, no," Sabe answered bluntly, her eyes fixated on Vader's exiting form. "If Obi-Wan had been honest to begin with, then we wouldn't be here."

"I imagine it had as much to do with protecting the little ones as it did anyone who might be targeted if they had that knowledge," Dorme replied as she paced the small room slowly. She knew that the truth needed to come out, but she didn't feel comfortable with ambushing Kenobi and demanding the truth. She was afraid of what she would find out. She had originally suggested asking Senator Organa, but seeing as he had gone to speak to the Naberries first and then to the Queen, they did the next best thing until they could speak with him,

"I _hope_ that that was the reasoning behind it," Sabe said a little more acidly than she meant to. "However, I believe that we are trustworthy enough to have been given that knowledge in confidence. We would take it to our graves. We deserve to know the truth. And so do the Naberries."

"We don't know what they _do_ know, though," Dorme countered. "And I don't like the idea of harassing them for information, especially if it turns out that they are in the dark regarding the particulars."

"Which is why we are going to wait for Senator Organa and go from there," Sabe said. "I will not seek out the Naberries for any reason. The less attention focused on them, the better. They have been through enough. But we need to know, so we can proceed accordingly. Especially if one of them seeks _us_ out."

"I agree with you there. But I can't imagine them looking for us. They know that the handmaidens take their secrets to the grave," Dorme replied.

"Even if that is so, if we want to take down the Empire, then we need to know," she said determinedly as she turned to face Dorme. "Knowledge is power in this case."

"And what do we do once we know the full truth?" Dorme asked with wide eyes. She wanted to know, but she didn't.

"We'll figure that out once we take what we've found to Obi-Wan," Sabe said with steel in her eyes. "This isn't just for _us_ \- this is for Padme, for her children, for the Galaxy. She would want no less." Dorme nodded once - on that score, she could not disagree.


	17. Chapter 17

"But, Mooomm, I need for you to talk some sense into father! We only have two more standard weeks before everything is finalized!" Ryoo whined as she followed Sola relentlessly through their home. Ryoo wanted desperately to go to art school, while Darred had wanted her to take a more pragmatic approach and go for architecture. While she was only going to a prep school, in order to make that next transition at the appropriate age, in Naboo culture, children were expected to choose their life path much earlier than in others.

"Ryoo, I told you that we would discuss this at length once your father actually gets home", Sola said tiredly. The constant nagging had not abated since Ryoo had gotten home two hours earlier, and she made a mental note to apologize to Jobal for her own teenage transgressions. Ryoo was entering adolescence, which was a harrowing time for most people, but especially those as sensitive as her eldest.

"Boom! Busted! Detettive Luke sees the shuura fruit in your teef!" came the welcome interruption in the form of a four year old who had obviously been watching too many holos lately.

"I did not!" Ryoo protested as Sola crossed her arms and looked at her.

"I told you that those were for after dinner. I'm also impressed that you managed to sneak in eating one since it seems that you have been pestering me this entire time," Sola replied drily as Ryoo scowled at her.

"Just please talk to father. Architecture involves so much mathematics, and you know I'm not good with those-"

"Ryoo, stop," Sola snapped, her temper beginning to fray. "We will discuss this after dinner, with your father, and that is final."

Ryoo deflated with a scowl and looked away from her mother angrily, but at least she had finally stopped arguing, which was all that Sola had wanted at the moment. Blessed silence reigned for a few moments, until she was summoned again, this time by Pooja.

"What does this announcement about red clothes mean again, Mama?" she asked innocently as she waved a datapad in Sola's face. Sola read over the newest Imperial edict for Naboo and sighed. She had come across it earlier in the day courtesy of Jobal, but she had hoped that it was just a joke someone had played on her gullible mother. Alas, if it had been sent to the schoolchildren on their school datapads, it was obvious that it was something to take seriously.

"This is just reviving a very old custom that had died out many many years ago," Sola explained tiredly. She spied Ryoo perking up some but still maintaining her sullen demeanor. "Basically, if any woman has a baby without being married, then they have to wear something red at all times so that everyone will know what she did."

"Oh, like Nadia's mom?" Pooja asked.

"No, that's different. She was married when she had Nadia and her sister, but then got divorced. This would be more like, well, Aunt Padme," Sola said truthfully, for she had no doubt that that was what had inspired this latest edict. Might as well start putting "bastard" on people's birth certs now, she thought disgustedly.

"That's stupid," Ryoo snorted. "Who cares?"

"The Emperor cares, and you should care too, since now it's the law," Sola remanded sharply.

Ryoo rolled her eyes and shook her head, leaving the conversation entirely after having stated her opinion. Pooja wrinkled her nose as she read over the edict again and looked up at her mother with disgust. "Only busy bodies care about stuff like this," she said sadly.

"I know," Sola replied sadly as she planted a kiss on Pooja's forehead. "Just make sure to be kind to anyone you see wearing red. You don't know what their circumstances might have been," she stated solemnly as she cupped Pooja's cheek.

"Yes, ma'am," her daughter nodded as she gave the datapad one more thoughtful read and then made her way to her own room. Sola sighed and sank back into the chair she had been sitting in as she pondered when it would all end. It was so senseless, and every time she tried to wrap her head around the retrograde changes she saw around her, she stopped trying, since trying to understand, was...well...senseless.

"Mama?" she heard again, and gritted her teeth and shut her eyes tightly closed.

"What?!" She snapped and then felt guilt hit her as she saw Luke back away slowly with a wary look on his face.

"Can you help me wif my shoe? The bucka won't close. Please?" he asked carefully.

Sola smiled and leaned forward toward him. "Want me to fix it for you or show you how to fix it?"

"Show how to fix it!" Luke beamed, as she had hoped. This was an easy problem to deal with, and one she was glad for at the moment, if she needed to have a problem at all.

"But, first! Go wash your hands! I saw you picking your nose!"

"Ha!" Luke laughed unapologetically as he kicked off the offending shoe and then ran off to do as he was told.

Sola shook her head. She hadn't remembered her girls ever thinking actual nose picking was funny. Pooja had gone through a phase where she had pretended to pick her nose to scandalize her mother and grandmother though. But neither had actually done so after they had been reprimanded the first time they had been caught doing so. Sola's thoughts drifted a little further back in time, and she suddenly remembered that Padme had somehow figured out how to blow snot bubbles, of all things, as a small child, and how she had delighted in torturing her older sister with her thoroughly disgusting talent.

Sola shook her head fondly and realized that that had been the first memory of Padme that she'd had without feeling sad. She smiled more widely as Luke's uneven footsteps heralded his return and she fought a laugh as she saw him come into view, the other shoe still firmly on one foot.

"I understand that you are upset," Obi Wan Kenobi appeased Bail Organa, "but the handmaidens knowing won't change anything. They figured it out on their own, I merely confirmed what they already knew. My confirming it probably saved their lives in that they didn't go asking people who they shouldn't have and alerting the Empire instead."

Bail sat back deflated, yet still angry. "I know logically that what you are saying is true, but…" he gestured helplessly for words. "If they could figure it out, how many others could have and just have not said anything? How can we be sure that they won't go to the Emperor or Vader with this knowledge?"

"There are no guarantees, I'm afraid. This was always a possibility," Obi Wan answered tiredly.

"The whole idea of separation was so that one twin would have the chance of survival if the other one didn't. The fact that there are people that know that there are two children, not just one, and that they know who both of them are and where they are, is what troubles me," Bail said as he put his chin on his fist.

"It would be even more suspicious if we suddenly increased security around the children, or tried to remove one of them from their current living arrangements, wouldn't it?" Obi Wan asked sharply, knowing that Bail would have meant for the previous arrangement for Leia, and the latter for Luke. Kind man though he was, his attachment to his daughter was strong, and he had no illusions about which child would suffer more if keeping them apart was still a part of the plan.

"It just seems as though we might as well have kept them together if could all have so easily been guessed at," Bail said sadly. "No one would have suspected twins."

"No, but seeing them together, there would have been no doubt who their parents were," Obi Wan replied easily, but kindly. "They may not look like each other, but there's enough of both of their parents in both of them that anyone could really guess their real identities."

A hushed silence fell over this obvious pronouncement and reigned for a few moments. "We did the best we could within the time that we had, and things have actually worked out better than our original plan would have," Obi Wan added, feeling the need to soothe the Senator further. "Neither Vader or the Emperor seem the wiser, and the only people to have guessed are the people that knew Padme the best. And I do include Anakin in that regard, for he did not grow up with her, learn all her mannerisms in order to be her, like those women did." He sat back for a moment and let Bail process everything.

"How well did anyone really know her in the end though?" he asked in almost a whisper.

"To be honest," Obi Wan paused, "I don't think she even knew herself."

"Fair enough," Bail nodded. "I suppose all we can do is continue on then."

"I think that would be what is best for all involved, yes," Obi Wan nodded back, relieved that the panic was now over with. "I'd more likely worry about Leia being taken hostage or harmed in some other way due to your clandestine activities rather than having her true heritage found out," he pointed out softly.

"As if Padme wouldn't be doing the same had she lived," Bail remarked wryly. Obi Wan had no answer to that.


	18. Chapter 18

Bail Organa said his goodbyes to Obi-Wan Kenobi and made his way back to his family's living quarters in the palace, only to be accosted by his daughter, who should have already been in bed. "Who was that Papa?" she asked suspiciously.

"An old friend, Leia", Bail responded kindly. He couldn't bring himself to reprimand her since Breha had taken very ill recently after another miscarriage. They hadn't intended for a pregnancy to happen, and once Breha was recovered again, they were going to take permanent measures to ensure it.

"I've never seen him before", Leia said with narrowed eyes as she crossed her arms. Bail resisted the urge to laugh. As cute as she could be when she was serious, laughter would only offend her further, and she was quite the handful when truly in a temper.

"That was Ben", he replied with as straight of a face as he could manage. "He doesn't come by very often, and most of what we talk about you would find very boring."

Leia said nothing in response but continued eyeing him suspiciously for another moment before she seemed satisfied with his answers. "Can you come read a bedtime story now?" she asked sweetly.

"I suppose so, if you think that will help you to go sleep?" he asked, feeling guilty that Obi-Wan's visit had destroyed his daughter's routine further.

"Yes, it would help so so so much, Papa!" she said earnestly as she reached for his hand. Bail took it and they walked down the quiet corridors to Leia's room. Her mood had picked up immensely and Bail felt another stab of guilt. Leia was still too young to understand just why her mother was sick and why she couldn't go see her yet. He hoped Breha's recovery would be quicker than any of the other times, but since she had been younger then, he doubted it. However, as he looked down at his daughter, he hoped that having Leia would bolster her spirits this time around, since all the other times before there had been no one else besides just himself.

Bail covered Leia up after not getting even halfway through her current favorite story, which was about an ill-fated romance between a rodent and a bird of prey. He tried not to think of the real-life parallels between her biological parents and the silly children's book. Most of the time, he tried not to think about her biological heritage at all. He sighed and tucked her in tight, the way she liked it. He knew that by morning the covers would be strewn in every which direction, since Leia was a very active sleeper.

He leaned back against the headboard and regarded his sleeping daughter. He had been ambushed by two of Padme's former handmaidens after the last time he had been on Naboo and confronted with their knowledge of Leia's heritage. They had mentioned nothing about the twin brother, but when he had spoken to Obi-Wan earlier in the evening it was clear that his identity was known as well. Bail reflected on his earlier anger at Obi-Wan, and it dissipated as he realized just how badly things could have gone had they drawn Imperial attention with their poking around. He had hoped that Obi-Wan could have told him earlier that he had given outside people confirmation - the thought still rankled.

Breha still didn't know what had become of Anakin Skywalker - she presumed him dead as a result of the Jedi Purge, and Bail dared not tell her otherwise for her own safety, which was another source of guilt for him. He knew that no one had given the Naberries the same courtesy either. It worried him to no end as to how many people could be expected to keep such an enormous secret, and he hoped that the two handmaidens in question had not spread the knowledge to any of Padme's other surviving handmaidens.

Bail sighed and debated whether to get up and go his own bed, which would be empty until the medics cleared Breha. He decided to sit a while longer with his little girl, as he knew that things would have to change soon. Changes were already occurring in Alderaan - there had been a few new Imperial recruitment centers that had opened up. Most of them were legitimate, since even though Alderaan was officially pacifistic, that did not mean that there weren't segments of the population that weren't drawn to the military lifestyle. However, there was one in particular that Bail suspected served no other purpose than to house spies, if not all of them.

He would need to start meeting with sensitive contacts elsewhere. Thankfully his Committee assignments in the Senate gave him some ideas where to look, if not for meeting places, then for ideological allies at least. He would need to expand his spy network and restart Alderaanian charity efforts in earnest. There was no reason why the two activities could not coexist at once, if not reinforce each other. The networking was the hardest and most important part of building any organization, let alone a rebellion, and now that the Empire had stabilized somewhat from its early birth throes, it was time to go ahead with his original plans. He would need to proceed carefully, for he had so much more to lose now than before.


	19. Chapter 19

Pooja Naberrie walked up to the Queen's private audience chambers with trepidation, having been summoned by the Emperor himself. She knew that Naboo's senator had been removed by the Emperor and that the public reasons given for his removal were vague, but she had no idea why it concerned her. At 17 years of age, she was nearly finished with the Legislative Program and was looking forward to a diplomatic position. Ambassador to Alderaan had been mentioned as a possibility, as was diplomatic liasion to Imperial Center itself. She nodded to the Queen's handmaidens as she approached the door and took in a deep breath to steel herself as one of them opened the chamber doors to announce her arrival.

As she was allowed entry, she noticed how dark the room was, and took a slower pace towards the Emperor as her eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting. She could not quite see Lord Vader, but his inimitable breathing could be heard. As she approached, she realized that there was no else in audience, save for herself, the Emperor, and Lord Vader. Her stomach churned uncomfortably with the knowledge that the Queen herself had been removed from her most private meeting place by the Emperor as he sat there as if he owned the place. Which, being Emperor of the entire galaxy, she supposed he did. She kneeled without saying a word and hoped that he was only here to discuss her possible liasion position.

"Please rise, young Naberrie," the Emperor intoned in what would have been perceived as a friendly voice by anyone not trained in diplomacy. Pooja slowly did as she was told and stood to face the most powerful men in the galaxy. The Emperor gave her a slow smile and gestured leisurely towards a chair that she had not previously seen. She straightened to her full, yet small, height and seated herself with as much dignity as her nerves allowed.

"I hear that you are quite the impressive talent, Miss Naberrie," the Emperor said with a small tilt to his head. "Must run in the family." Another sickly smile, and Pooja mustered all of her skills to return a small one of her own while trying not to focus on the Emperor's unnaturally yellow eyes.

"Thank you Your Majesty," she replied cordially. "I look forward to serving the Empire in whatever capacity I can."

"Good," the Emperor replied simply and sat back. "What exactly is it that you were hoping to achieve in your future? A run for office? Perhaps, Queen of Naboo?"

"Oh no, Your Majesty, I have been very invested in diplomacy, so an Ambassadorship-"

"Oh, no, no, no," he interrupted her. "An Ambassadorship? With the glowing reviews that you have received from your instructors, I can promise you that that would be a waste of your considerable promise." A wider smile this time, no less sinister, revealed teeth nearly as yellow as his eyes.

"Your Majesty?" Pooja asked with growing dread. She hoped against all hope that he would not require anything more high profile from her. Her mother would never forgive her.

"Quite simply, my dear, I am asking you if you would like to be the new senator for Naboo," the Emperor stated with the same sickly friendly intonation that he had started their meeting with. But Pooja's diplomatic training meant she knew that it wasn't an invitation, rather a very nicely worded order. But diplomacy and her true desire to go nowhere near such a situation required that she not accept immediately.

"I would be honored, Your Majesty," she replied neutrally, "but I fear I am still far too young, and that you would be far better served by someone with more experience-"

"False modesty does not become you, Miss Naberrie," he waved dismissively. "There are more than enough experienced people for me to choose from. People who have become entrenched and set in their ways. I seek to present Naboo in a new light and send her best and brightest to represent my home planet, you see. And as of right now, based upon all evidence I have gathered, it has been suggested that that person is you."

Pooja swallowed hard, at a loss for a response. As scared as she had been of Vader as a child, she now realized that the Emperor was far scarier, and that all of her schoolmates' silly conspiracy theories about Vader really being in charge and the Emperor being his puppet were just that. Vader had not said a word, and his breathing, while still audible, had become only so much background noise. The Emperor looked at her expectantly, but he wore a small smirk.

"I am honored to accept your request, and will do my utmost to ensure that you and Naboo herself are represented to the degree that you desire," she acquiesced with a heavy heart.

"Good," the Emperor stated as he clasped his hands together in front of his chest. "I shall require you to report to Imperial Center immediately. Lord Vader will escort you to your home to collect your belongings." Out of her peripheral vision she saw the Sith Lord in question stiffen in surprise and if she'd had enough clarity of mind she might have felt sorry for him. "Once that is done, you may join me on my personal Star Destroyer back to Imperial Center."

"Oh, that is very kind of you, Your Majesty, but it really isn't necessary-"

"But I insist, my dear. After all, I did come all of this way to make this very important proposal personally," he interrupted again. The friendly veneer was starting to wear off almost imperceptibly, and Pooja knew that any further argument would only end in disaster for her and her family.

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

"You are dismissed, Senator," he drawled the last word. "Lord Vader?"

As Pooja rose on numb legs and offered a final bow, she dimly registered that she was in shock. She turned to leave and didn't look behind her to see if the Sith was following her. Her mind whirled in several different directions as she walked and she nearly screamed when a hand grabbed her arm and steered her in a different direction. "The speeder awaits in this direction, Senator," Vader informed her tonelessly. She nodded once and tried not to trip on her own two feet as she quickened her pace to meet the Dark Lord's long strides.

The speeder ride back to her home was fraught with tension which Pooja was only vaguely aware of. How had it all come to this? It was unexpected, it was too soon, her mother would be hysterical, she didn't know anyone on Imperial Center, even though she vaguely remembered Senator Organa visiting Naboo a few times in the past. All too soon, they arrived at her home, and she wordlessly stepped out of the speeder without waiting for anyone to open any door for her. She stepped into her home, with Darth Vader right behind her, and wished she had been able to at least warn her family. Her parents and her siblings were all together in the main living area and her heart twisted in on itself as her mother's eyes widened.

"Mother, I have an announcement to make," Pooja stated as she took her mother's forearms and forestalled any outburst on her behalf "I have been made Senator for Naboo per Emperor Palpatine's request and am to report to Imperial Center immediately for duty." She held her mother's gaze and tried not to look at her other family members, but she could feel their shock just as surely as if she had been looking at them.

Darth Vader was not surprised often by his Master's whims, but this particular stunt had caught him flat-footed. As he watched Pooja Naberrie comfort her grief-stricken and terrified mother, he tried to filter out Darred Naberrie's poisonous thoughts. The man kept a stoic exterior, but his thoughts were loud and thoroughly unkind regarding Padme Amidala's continuing influence on his family's life. Daughter and tearful mother retreated to pack her belongings while the rest of the thunderstruck family remained in place. After a few moments, the boy bolted from his seat, as if he'd come to some decision and ran into the kitchen. Vader heard water running and remembered Padme consuming tea when under stress. The child had decided to extend the favor for his mother, who would desperately need it.

Vader wished he could sigh, but his vocoder would not allow it. Either way, it would have been a gesture of weakness in front of the father and daughter who still remained in the room with him. He knew as well as they did that this appointment had been made as a test - one wrong move from Pooja Naberrie, and the entire family risked being wiped out. This was his Master's gambit to finally remove the last vestiges of Padme Amidala from the galaxy, and thus his apprentice's life. The elder girl had not been a good candidate due to her chosen profession in the arts, so Palpatine had had to wait until the right opportunity came along. And foolish Pooja Naberrie had inadvertently given him the opening necessary to fulfill an ambition that had gone unrealized since Padme's death.

Vader was broken from his musings as a whistling noise erupted from the kitchen. His suspicions about the tea had been validated, but he felt no joy over it. Neither Ryoo or Darred Naberrie made a move or said a word. Ryoo regarded him with vague hostility, but her thoughts and mood were unreadable, for which Vader had to give grudging respect. Darred's thoughts were still loud, but were not cursing Padme any longer, rather they had moved towards the Emperor and his petty vendetta. Vader couldn't find it in himself to care about the nature of the thoughts, only that he could somehow tune them out.

Salvation came in the form of the new Senator and Sola Naberrie as they came back into the living area. Sola stood shell-shocked as her daughter said goodbye to the rest of her family, including the boy, who had just wandered back in. Vader looked away and tried not to think of when he had to leave his own mother behind. His irritation levels rose as more memories of a past life threatened to assail him.

"Senator, we must make haste. The Emperor awaits," he finally announced. The family jolted collectively, as if they had forgotten that he had been there at all.

"Comm as often as you can," Sola said in a rush as she caressed her daughter's cheek. "And, please, for the love of all the goddesses, please do not get involved with anyone until you can come back home."

"Don't worry Mama," Pooja soothed back. "I will be so far over my head, I doubt I will even have the time or energy to even think about romantic entanglements." She offered what Vader referred to as a sympathy smile - an empty gesture for a promise that could never be kept. He pointedly took her luggage and made towards the door as he ignored the sniffles from the family that could have been his.

Emperor Palpatine's meditations were not clear or productive for the first time in many years. He frowned to himself as he tried again to access the Force and see what the future held. Something had changed irrevocably the moment that he had made his move in regards to Pooja Naberrie. What that meant, he had no idea, as the future was clouded to him for the first time in years. He stretched out with the Force towards his apprentice and found him in a meditative state. His apprentice seemed indifferent rather than angry, which surprised him. He didn't know if that was something to worry about or not, but he knew that it was not Vader who was clouding the future. This was due to his own actions. Another abortive attempt at meditation produced nothing and Palpatine was forced to concede that perhaps he might have made a mistake - although why that was, he could not say.


	20. Chapter 20

Sola Naberrie felt as though she had cried more in the last few hours than she had the entire rest of her life. She had just broken the news to her parents about Pooja's appointment to the Senate, and it had eaten her alive with guilt to put such a burden on them. But the possibility of them finding out through the media somehow instead would have been unforgivable. She sighed as she set the comm unit down and perked up as she heard rustling in the kitchen. She had thought that everyone had already retired for the night, exhausted as they all had been after such an emotional day.

She walked into the kitchen to find Luke preparing her a cup of tea and she felt a ghost of a smile on her lips. "You should be in bed, you know?" she asked as she sidled up to the counter where her son was carefully pouring the boiling water into her favorite cup. It looked clean, so he must have washed it after she had used it earlier. He was a very thoughtful child, and not at all like the stereotypical boy that she had been afraid of raising after only having had experience with two girls.

"Yeah, but Ryoo is in Pooja's room crying and she told me to stay far away from her for a while. And since Pooja's room is right next to mine," he shrugged. "Besides," he looked at her shyly, "I thought you might want some more tea."

"Thank you, darling," Sola replied honestly as she leaned over and kissed the side of his head. She watched with fascination as he steeped the tea and prepared it with sugar exactly as she preferred it and wondered whether one of the girls had taught him, or if he had observed her over time and figured it out on his own. He gave her a small crooked smile as he pushed the steaming cup over towards her. Sola took it gingerly and gave him a small watery smile back. She was sure that she looked a fright, but she had not had the confidence to look herself in the mirror since Pooja had left.

As she sipped her tea, a comfortable silence permeated the house. She looked over at Luke, who was perusing a datapad whose contents she could not see due to the glare from the overhead pendant light. "Say," she asked as she put her cup down, "do you still want to be a doctor when you grow up?" Sola hoped that the question had been asked nonchalantly, but her son could be very perceptive when he wanted to be.

Luke half cocked his head and smiled at her. "Mama, it's been two years already since I decided, and it won't change. I'm going to help people."

She smiled wider and tousled his hair a bit. "You know, there's not as much demand now for doctors since droids are so widely available. Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"Droids are good and all," he shrugged and then looked at her with a glint in his eye, "but droids don't find cures for things. Droids only do what people program them to do. People still have to find cures for diseases and stuff and then program the droids once they know how to cure people."

"'Air-tight logic there, son," Sola replied impressed. It was moments like these when he truly reminded her of Padme. "You sure you don't want to be a lawyer? That's the kind of argument they make," she teased.

"Ew, no!" Luke laughed. "Dad says they're parasites."

"Did he now?" she asked with a small laugh. "Is that what he thinks of Grandpa Ruwee? He is a professor of law and history after all."

"No, he says that since Grandpa doesn't actually practice law he's ok."

Sola genuinely laughed at that. "Just promise me you won't go into politics, ok?" she asked a little more seriously. She hated to be so paranoid, but she couldn't stand the idea of losing anyone else to the maw of politics. Her daughter wasn't dead yet, but she couldn't help but wonder when she would receive a comm or a visit from someone informing her of the fact.

"Don't worry, Mama," Luke reassured her with sincerity, "I'm going to be a doctor, and I'm going to find a cure for blindness."

Sola blinked, not having expected such a specific and ambitious goal. "I'm intrigued," she said honestly.

"When we went to the blind people's school, and we read them books, it was so sad," he said looking down at his hands. She gave him a moment to get his thoughts together and elaborate. "They would get so frustrated, because you'd be reading, and then someone would sneeze or cough, and the someone else would ask if you could repeat that part again because they couldn't hear it. Then other people would get mad because they didn't want to hear the same part again," he shook his head. "I want to help them so they don't have to live like that," he finished with conviction.

"I think that is a lovely idea, and I am fully in support of your choice of career. Assuming that you don't change your mind and that that is really what you want to do."

"I do, Mama. I really really do," Luke replied earnestly in the way that only children who are approaching the cusp of adolescence can.

"I just want to make sure that you do what makes you truly happy," she said as she looked him in the eyes. "Please don't be influenced by my fears."

"I won't, don't worry. I love you, Mama," Luke told her as he gave her a hug.

"I love you too, son," Sola replied as she hugged him back. "Now it's time for you to get to bed."

"But Ryoo-"

"I will deal with Ryoo if she has a problem with you going into your own room," she replied firmly, but kindly.

"Ok, good night, Mama."

"Good night, Luke." She watched him leave and let out an explosive sigh of relief. To think that she had argued with Ryoo over her choice in career so long ago and now all she could feel was relief that she had taken the path that she had. She knew Luke would not choose the political path, she was fairly certain that he would indeed go the medical route. She could not save Pooja, but her other two children were safe for now, and that was all she could ask for at the moment.

"Surely you must see reason Senator," Obi-Wan Kenobi's image implored him over the comm. "The Naberrie family is under intense scrutiny, and Pooja Naberrie's appointment to the Senate will only exacerbate things. The boy is not a viable option anymore for the Jedi path."

Bail Organa clenched his fists and paced a few times around his private study. "I understand, logically," he finally replied after a moment to compose himself. "Is there no other way? Must it be Leia?" he asked plaintively.

"I am so sorry, Senator, but the consequences of removing the boy from his current situation at any point or in the future would prove to be disastrous. He is a known entity, and to train him in secrecy would be nigh impossible. Any chance of him being discovered would be cataclysmic."

"I just don't see why it has to be Leia! And I don't want a lecture on attachments, it isn't about that, Master Kenobi. Surely you can see that she is a known public figure as well?"

"Be that as it may, if the boy were discovered, it would lead the Sith to Leia as well, and without training of any sort she would be defenseless," the Jedi Master offered gently.

"How could that be? Wouldn't you training him and making sure that he didn't know about Leia keep her safe?" Bail knew that he was grasping at straws and indulging in selfishness, but he could not let go of the argument until he was sure that all the angles had been covered.

"Were you not the one that delivered him to the Naberrie family?" Obi-Wan asked sharply, clearly losing patience. "They would come to you no matter what, and Leia would either be discovered, or suffer by association."

Bail blanched at that and deflated. He hated to concede the argument, but he knew that the Jedi was right. "I hate that this burden is being laid on her shoulders. She had already been set on the path towards the Senate," Bail trailed off.

"By her choice, or yours?" the Jedi asked cautiously.

"It was part of the original plan," Bail gestured uselessly.

"The plan seems to have been changed, courtesy of the Emperor," Obi-Wan reminded him gently. "I am truly sorry, Senator."

"I guess this will teach us a lesson regarding the futility of long range planning," Bail replied bitterly.

"Whatever we had planned for Padme's children, it seems that destiny had other plans. Perhaps it is about time that we stopped looking at people as pieces of a Dejarik board."

Bail had no response to that and a tense silence reigned for a moment. "I will approach Leia when I think the time is right. And it must be her choice, of course."

Obi-Wan wisely said nothing regarding Leia's lack of choice in her current career path. "We will know when the time is right and let her make the decision. I will honor that decision, whatever it may be."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Bail replied through a dry mouth. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you."

The comm turned off and Bail sighed as he sat on the edge of his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had hoped that it would never have come to this, that his Leia would be spared the Jedi way. He knew now that the probability of her choosing that path was high, she had the mind of a justice-seeker and the willpower to do whatever she set her mind to. He would of course have to tell Obi-Wan to not even think of trying to get her to live the Jedi way. Non-attachment would have a devastating effect on his daughter, not to mention on Breha or himself.

He opened the door to the study to find a sleepy Leia leaning against the wall. "You sound-proofed the study. When did you do that?" she asked sleepily.

"It's been a few weeks now, to make sure that people who are trying to spy will not overhear things they shouldn't," he replied as he took her hand and helped her up.

"What was the conversation about?" Leia asked, curious as ever.

"Senate business, which I assure you you would not find the least bit interesting," Bail answered somewhat truthfully. He smiled to himself as she dragged her feet alongside him on their way back to her room. He helped her into her bed and tucked her in. A sudden thought occurred to him, and he voiced it aloud: "Leia? What would you like to be as an adult?"

Leia regarded him with surprised sleepiness. "A Senator, like you want me to," she replied with some amount of confusion.

"No, not what your mother and I want for you. What would you be if you could?"

Leia eyed him suspiciously for a moment and then answered, "A speeder racer? I dunno, no one's ever asked me before."

Bail felt a stab of guilt in his gut. "You can answer honestly, Leia. What would you really want to be?"

"A racer, or a pilot," she answered after a moment of hesitation. Bail winced inwardly, trying not to think of her biological parentage.

"Well, we'll see what we can do about that, won't we?" he asked teasingly.

"It's ok," she yawned, "at least you asked, and now you know."

He stroked her hair and watched her settle into her blankets further. "Can I ask for something that I really want?" she asked suddenly. Bail nodded. "Can I stop taking etiquette classes? I really don't want to do those anymore."

"Absolutely not, Lelila," Bail laughed. "Absolutely not."


End file.
